Helpless
by Blaque Cell
Summary: Finished! Goten's used the Dragon Balls, but what did he wish for? What does it mean for Tina and himself? Everything is resolved this time. Except one thing: Goten's still in love. It's time for Goten to face his own feelings. Will tragedy strike again?
1. The Song Begins

HELPLESS

  
  


It was six in the morning when Goten was up and starting his daily routine. He was in the bathroom shaving, not really knowing why since he didn't have a bit of hair on his face. He figured he just wanted some hair. Goten put the blade down on the counter and stared at his own face in the mirror.

  
  


"Hey you. How'd you get so handsome? Oh wait, that's me! I gotta be the best looking guy in this family," said Goten.

  
  


"I beg to differ, little brother," said Gohan as he entered the bathroom.

  
  


"Gohan? When did you get here?" asked Goten.

  
  


"In the middle of the night. Mom and Dad let me sleep in my old room and..."

  
  


"Videl kicked you out the house again, didn't she?"

  
  


"...maybe."

  
  


"What did you do this time?"

  
  


"Oh, I just blew out the wall to our bedroom when I was training outside. It's not my fault, I tell you!"

  
  


"Whatever you say, bro...."

  
  


"Goten...did you put on cologne?" asked Gohan as he sniffed the air.

  
  


"Yeah. You like it?" asked Goten.

  
  


"No comment. What's the deal? You never put on cologne."

  
  


"Sometimes a Saiyan just wants to smell his freshest, that's all."

  
  


"What's her name?"

  
  


"Excuse me?"

  
  


"What's the girl's name?"

  
  


"What makes you think it's about a girl?"

  
  


"Because you're shaving, and there's nothing to shave."

  
  


"....I hate you. Well if you must know it's this girl named Tina. She's pretty cute, and very nice. I was just thinking maybe I could ask her to the senior prom or something."

  
  


"Goten, the senior prom isn't for two more years."

  
  


"Well I don't have a date for it! Besides, no woman can resist my charms."

  
  


"Yeah, whatever you say. Well, good luck. And get out. I gotta go." Gohan pushed Goten out of the bathroom and did his business. Goten just stared at the door from outside.

  
  


"Well at least the girl I like isn't throwing me out the house!" yelled Goten.

  
  


Two hours later, Goten was in his homeroom chatting with a few friends. Trunks came in a few minutes after Goten and sat next to him. He tried to talk to Goten, but at that moment Tina came in and Goten was in a trance. Trunks snapped his fingers and brought Goten back to the real world.

  
  


"Hey, what's with you? Have you been smoking or something?" asked Trunks.

  
  


"Not lately...I mean no!" snapped Goten.

  
  


"It's Tina, isn't it?"

  
  


"What?! How did you know?!"

  
  


"You're my best friend, Goten. I know everything about you. So go talk to her. I bet she likes you."

  
  


"I wanna wait until just the right moment."

  
  


"What? Three minutes before we graduate? Goten, seize the moment! Go talk to her while you have the chance! I'll tell you what: I'll go see if she likes you, but I won't directly ask her. So she won't know that you like her unless you tell her so. Alright?"

  
  


"Yeah, that's a good idea. Okay, I'll wait right here."

  
  


Trunks got up and walked across the room to where Tina was sitting. She was sitting alone, staring out the window, at the horizon. She wiped a tear out of her eye, but Trunks didn't see it. He tapped her on the shoulder and sat beside her. She looked at him and smiled politely.

  
  


"Hi Trunks. What's up?" asked Tina.

  
  


"Nothing much. Hey, only a couple weeks until we're out of school. You excited?" asked Trunks.

  
  


"Yeah, it'll be great to forget all this school work and stuff."

  
  


"You got anything planned for the summer?"

  
  


"No, I'll just hang around my house and play with my cat or something."

  
  


"Well Goten and I are planning on going to Hydro Island as soon as the break begins. You wanna come with us?"

  
  


"I'd love to, but I'll have to ask my parents first."

  
  


"Okay. So...what do you think of ol' Goten?"

  
  


"Oh, he's a nice guy. Really funny, too. A little goofy, but funny."

  
  


"Yeah, that's my buddy. You think you would consider going out with him one time?"

  
  


"Well...I wouldn't mind going out with Goten. It could be fun."

  
  


"That would be interesting. Well, I just wanted to come and say hi. Make sure you ask your parents about the theme park."

  
  


"I will. Later, Trunks."

  
  


Trunks walked back to Goten and sat down. Goten was sweating bullets by the time he got back. He grabbed Trunks by the shoulders and shook him.

  
  


"Well, what did she say?! Oh, she laughed, didn't she?! How could you do that to me?!" yelled Goten.

  
  


"Goten, shut up! And calm down!" yelled Trunks.

  
  


"But...but...but...wha...?"

  
  


"Listen...you have a chance. But you have to take your chance soon, you got me? Don't wait too long."

  
  


"Yes! Thanks, Trunks! Maybe...after school today."

  
  


"Yeah, that's a good idea. Good luck, Goten."

  
  


Goten spent the rest of the day thinking about Tina. It was an odd feeling to him, but a good one. He just wanted to talk to her, but at the moment his heart was choking him from his chest to his throat and he just couldn't say a thing. He just waited until the end of the day, and when it finally came, he made his move.

  
  
  
  


"Alright Goten. Now's your chance. Do your thing," said Trunks.

  
  


"Alright, I'm ready," said Goten.

  
  


Goten walked through a crowd of people to Tina, who was walking by herself, as usual. After all, none of her friends lived anywhere near her. Goten trailed behind her for a second, then he moved up so that they were walking side by side.

  
  


"Shake Ya Ass, But Watch Yourself! Shake Ya Ass, Show Me What You're Workin' Wit!" Goten sang.

  
  


"Goten, how'd you know I liked that song?" asked Tina.

  
  


"I didn't. I was just making a request," replied Goten.

  
  


"You're too much. So what's up with you?"

  
  


"Well, I wanted to ask you something. Uh...ah crap..."

  
  


"What's wrong?"

  
  


"Well...I just wanted to know...if you want to hang out...or something."

  
  


"Oh sure. I'll hang with you."

  
  


"Great!...I mean...That's cool. So, can I walk you home?"

  
  


"Um...I'd rather not go home right now. Can you show me your house?"

  
  


"Oh, sure. Anything you want."

  
  


Goten held out his arm and Tina took it. They walked arm in arm away from the school and toward Goten's house. Goten looked over his shoulder and saw Trunks grinning. Trunks motioned for him to leave with his arm. Goten chuckled and waved at his friend, then he and Tina kept walking.

  
  


Neither of them said a thing the whole way over to Goten's house. Goten realized right there that it was a hell of a walk to his house. He was used to flying, and when he did that, he could make good time. But he wasn't about to let this girl see him fly. That would raise too many questions. She didn't seem to mind all the walking, though. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it. Goten and Tina walked along the long path and eventually made it to the house.

  
  


"Well, here's the dump I call home," said Goten.

  
  


Goten opened the door and ushered Tina in. Tina was shocked at how clean the home was. Apparently his mother liked to keep a tidy household. Tina noticed a bunch of Gohan's diplomas and awards hanging on a wall, then she saw a shelf that was packed with martial arts awards that Goku and Goten had both earned. 

  
  


"So, you're a martial artist?" asked Tina.

  
  


"Well, I do a little of that stuff. Nothing too serious," Goten blatantly lied.

  
  


"You have a beautiful house, Goten. Your mom must clean every day."

  
  


"Thanks. And she does. Believe me, she does."

  
  


Goten suddenly heard a strange noise upstairs. He had no idea what it was, but it seemed to come from his bedroom. It sounded loud. Goten slowly walked upstairs with a little ki charged in his body.

  
  


"What's that?" asked Tina.

  
  


"I don't know. Wait here," said Goten.

  
  


"No way. If it's burglars, I can't let you go up there by yourself."

  
  


"Well...alright. But stay behind me." Goten figured she would be safe, since whoever was up there couldn't be a challenge to him.

  
  


Goten continued walking upstairs and stopped in front of his room. He crept up to the door, grabbed the knob, and opened the door really fast. His jaw dropped when he saw who was in his room. Goku was sitting on his bed and playing his Dreamcast.

  
  


"Move, you damn hedgehog!" yelled Goku.

  
  


"Dad, what are you doing here?" asked Goten.

  
  


"Oh I'm sorry, son. Your mother went to the store and I got bored so I started playing your game. Hey, is this two-tailed fox gay or something? He's always hanging around the hedgehog and touching him," said Goku.

  
  


"Dad..."

  
  


"Oh hello there," said Goku to Tina. 

  
  


"Hello. My name is Tina Samson. I'm Goten's friend," said Tina.

  
  


"Nice to meet you. I'm Goten's father, Goku."

  
  
  
  


"Yeah, Dad should be training right now, but..." said Goten.

  
  


"Well, I'll leave you two alone. You probably want to elope or something," said Goku.

  
  


"Dad!" yelled Goten.

  
  


Tina just giggled.

  
  


Goku walked out of the room and to the kitchen, where he proceeded to raid the fridge.

  
  


"Sorry about that. My dad is...odd," said Goten.

  
  


"It's no problem. My parents are hard to deal with, too," said Tina.

  
  


"Really? Is it a serious problem?"

  
  


"Well...no. No, it's alright. They're just parents, you know what I mean? They really do love me though. I know everything they do for me is for my own good."

  
  


Goten was a little surprised. Tina's voice seemed to break on the last few words. Goten decided to change the subject. She never mentioned her parents before, so he guessed it was a touchy subject.

  
  


"So, you want to listen to some music?" asked Goten.

  
  


"Sure. What do you have?" asked Tina, her voice sounding more relaxed now.

  
  


"Well," Goten shifted through his CDs. "Mystikal, Lauren Hill, Outkast, Jill Scott, Eminem, and KC and Jojo."

  
  


"Oh, I love KC and Jojo!" said Tina.

  
  


"Okay, as you wish, my lady." Goten popped the CD in the player. Goten and Tina sat on the bed and listened to a few tracks. Eventually, Tina lay down on the bed. Then she rested her head in Goten's lap. A tear seemed to be forming in her eye.

  
  


"Goten," said Tina, "I don't want to leave. I wish I could just stay here."

  
  


"I know how you feel. I don't want this song to end," said Goten.

  
  


As if on cue, the song "All My Life" by KC and Jojo came on at that moment

  
  


"Goten, what if the song does end? We can't stop that from happening," said Tina.

  
  


"Our song will never end, Tina. I won't allow that to happen," said Goten.

  
  


_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you..._the song played on.

  
  


"You promise me? Our song will never end?" asked Tina.

  
  


"Not as long as we keep it going," said Goten.

  
  


_And I thank God that I...that I finally found you..._

  
  


"I love this song. It's like it plays for us. You're right, we can keep it going," said Tina.

  
  


_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you..._

  
  


"Yes, we have to cherish this song. That's what will make it special. It's _our_ song, and we cherish it," said Goten.

  
  


_And I hope that you feel the same way, too..._

  
  


Tina sat up in Goten's arms. Goten leaned over and met her lips with his own. He caressed her back with his hand and held his other hand in her hair, stroking it occasionally. Tina stroked his hair as well, and they sat kissing as their song played on.

  
  


_Yes, I pray that you do love me too..._

  
  


"Thank you, Goten, for playing my song," said Tina.

  
  


"Our song, Tina," said Goten, "Our song."

  
  


_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you._

_And I thank God that I...that I finally found you._

_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you._

_And I hope that you feel the same way, too._

_Yes I pray that you do love me too._

  
  


And the song played on...

  
  


END OF CHAPTER ONE


	2. Night-Beautiful/Frightening

Goten couldn't sleep. He just lay in bed with his eyes wide open and a big smile on his face. All he could think about was that kiss. Yes, that kiss. Tina's lips were so smooth, so delicate. And her hair felt like silk. And her skin, that chocolate brown skin. It was all too much for Goten. He couldn't believe he had kissed a girl who was so beautiful.

  
  


Earlier in the evening, Goku gave Goten and Tina a ride back to Tina's house. Goten and Tina were sitting in the back seat, and Goten had his arms around her. Goku drove like a crazy man, but that didn't matter to Goten at the moment.

  
  


The car arrived at Tina's house in about ten minutes. Goten got out the car, walked around it, and opened the door on Tina's side. Tina got out and walked up to the front door of her house with Goten. She kissed him on the cheek, opened the door, and waved back to him as she entered the house. Goten stood and waved. Then he went back to the car and sat in the front seat next to Goku.

  
  


"What's the matter, son?" asked Goku as he pulled away.

  
  


"Dad, I really like this girl. I'm having these weird feelings and I don't know what to do about them," said Goten.

  
  


"You don't do anything about it."

  
  


"What do you mean?"

  
  


"Don't try to change it. Just let it be. Let your feelings guide you."

  
  


"Wow, that's really deep, Dad."

  
  


"That's how I realized I loved your mother."

  
  


"But Mom said she tricked you into marrying her."

  
  


"Well, she did, but the love was still there. I honestly had no idea what marriage was, but I still had feelings for Chi Chi. And I still do. So instead of trying to figure out what my feelings meant, I just let them guide me, and about thirty years later I'm here talking to you about it."

  
  


"So I should just keep going and see what happens?"

  
  


"That's it. You've got it. Don't try to question it, just let things happen and then act upon it."

  
  


"Thanks, Dad. You really helped."

  
  


Goten sat back and relaxed the whole ride home. Goku glanced to the side and smiled at his son. Goten was having these questions at the same time that Gohan had them. Goten was just sixteen years old and already wondering about girls and learning life lessons. 

  
  
  
  


Now, in the present, Goten was still staring at his ceiling. The image of Tina was stuck in his head. Not that he wanted that particular image out, it was just there. Goten closed his eyes and turned onto his side. There would be plenty of time to think about it in the morning.

  
  


Just then Goten heard a voice coming out of the room next to him: Gohan's room. Goten listened and heard Gohan talking but nobody else answered. Goten picked up the phone and listened.

  
  


"I'm sorry, Videl! Please let me come home!" pleaded Gohan.

  
  


"What home?! I don't even have a room to sleep in thanks to you!" yelled Videl.

  
  


"I promise not to take the training overboard anymore! Please, please, PLEASE LET ME COME BACK HOME!"

  
  


"No, Gohan! Not until you pay to have the wall repaired!"

  
  


"I can't afford that on a teacher's salary!"

  
  


"Well you should have thought about that before!"

  
  


"Videl, if you would just..."

  
  


CLICK

  
  


"Oh...shoot," said Gohan.

  
  


Goten hung up the phone and smiled. There was always some kind of drama going on in that family. He wondered if Tina had the same kind of drama in her family.

  
  


********

  
  


Tina sat at a desk in her room, writing in a journal. Obviously, she was writing about Goten. Goten was the only thing on her mind at the moment. She wrote and wrote and wrote. This was not the first time she had written about Goten, but it was definitely the best entry she ever wrote.

  
  


_Dear Journal,_

_Today had to be the best day of my life. I didn't expect this to happen. Goten...and me. In a way I guess I should thank Trunks, too. I know Goten sent him to see how I felt about him, but I won't tell them that. I guess Trunks knows that I know too. Off the subject. Okay, well, I really want to go to Hydro Island with Goten, but I'm not sure if I can. I mean, Mom's probably too doped up to care or even be aware of what I'm doing. And Dad...I won't even mention him. There's just no point in doing that. Maybe I should_

  
  


Tina stopped writing suddenly when she heard noise outside of her bedroom. She got up from her desk, put her ear to the door, and listened. Her parents were fighting, as usual. And she already knew what it was about. Her mother had gone off somewhere to get high, and she was trying to steal stuff from the house to give to the dealers. Her father was yelling at her for it when he caught her.

  
  


"Damn it, Joan! I keep telling you that you are not welcome in this house if you stay on that shit! I'm sick of you coming in here looking for stuff to give to your drug buddies!" yelled Tina's father.

  
  


"Fuck you, Harry! I'll do whatever I want to in my own home! You can't stop me, so don't fuckin' try to!" yelled Tina's mother.

  
  


Tina could hear her father slap her mother to the floor. 

  
  


"Bitch, you pack your shit and get out of here! You're not gonna take another thing out of here! And I don't want you influencing my two daughters! I'm shocked Marcus even made it into college with this shit happening!" said the father.

  
  


Marcus was Tina's older brother, who she loved to death. Despite all the chaos in the house, he kept his grades up and was attending Yale. Tina's younger sister, Bianca, was only six years old and had no idea how to handle all the chaos. Tina prayed every night that Bianca wouldn't have to go through the same torment that she went through.

  
  


"I know you ain't talking about negative influence, the way you're always..." Joan stopped speaking when Harry slapped her even harder.

  
  


"I'm only gonna tell you once more, woman! Get the hell out of my house and don't come back!" he yelled.

  
  


Joan slowly got up and walked to the door. She opened it and looked back at Harry with tears in her eyes.

  
  


"Why did all this have to happen? I still love you. I love the kids. I want to change. I want another chance," said Joan.

  
  


"There aren't any more chances. Not for you, you God damn crackfiend. Now get out," said Harry.

  
  


Joan slowly walked away. It was raining hard, and in a few minutes there was going to be a thunderstorm. She walked through the rain and sobbed as she left the house. Tina knew deep down inside that this would be the last time she would ever see her mother. Tina turned out the light in her room, climbed into her bed, and tried to cry herself to sleep. She knew what was next, and even though she knew it was coming, she would silently pray every night that it wouldn't. She could hear her father slowly walking up the steps toward her room.

  
  
  
  


"Goten, I need you," Tina said through tears.

  
  


Her door slowly opened, and a silhouette of her father appeared in the doorway. Tina could see his shadow on the wall, but she didn't look up. She just lay perfectly still. Harry closed the door behind him and walked up to the bed. He sat on the side of it and stroked Tina's hair. Then he pulled her sheets down, climbed into the bed, and pulled her nightgown up. 

  
  


"You know I love you right?" said Harry.

  
  


"Dad, stop. Please...just let me sleep," said Tina.

  
  


Harry firmly grasped the back of Tina's neck. The hold hurt worse than anything Tina had ever felt, and she thought she would pass out. Harry squeezed tighter and pulled her head up to his.

  
  


"You don't ever tell me to stop. I'm your father, you understand?" said Harry.

  
  


"Yes..." Tina said through tears.

  
  


"Good." Harry released Tina's neck. "You know I love you. This is for your own good."

  
  


Tina lay still with her father on top of her. She battled back tears and closed her eyes. She pictured Goten, somehow swooping in through her window and saving her. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. She just lay still, still running that thought through her head. And wondering. Asking herself the same question over and over.

  
  


_Goten, where are you?_ she wondered.

  
  


And far, far away, Goten was jarred awake from his sleep. He sat straight up and looked around. He was sweating and trembling. His dream was not a good one by far, and there was only one thing on his mind.

  
  


"Tina...something's not right," said Goten aloud.

  
  


He had no idea how right he was.

  
  


END OF CHAPTER TWO


	3. The First Date

It was Saturday morning. Goten woke up at about 11:30, and he felt terrible. He had trouble sleeping the whole night. Every now and then he could get a few moments' rest, but then something would just wake him. Something didn't feel right. He didn't really fall asleep until about 5 in the morning, and even then he didn't feel very rested after waking up.

Goten rose out of bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Waking up late was definitely not a good thing, because everybody else had already eaten. Goten poured some cereal into a bowl and then went for the milk. Only a droplet of milk came out of the carton. Goten cursed to himself and walked away from the kitchen. He still felt horrible, and he had this strange feeling that something wasn't right. Why was he so worried about Tina all of a sudden? Why did he keep getting this feeling that something had happened to her?

Goten went into the living room, plopped down on the couch, and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels and saw that there was nothing on. He slapped his palm into his forehead and groaned loudly.

"Damn...all the cartoons have gone off already...this sucks," said Goten aloud.

It was just a bad day for Goten. He needed cheering up. And he needed to be sure that Tina was okay. He reached over the couch, grabbed the phone, and dialed Tina's number. After a few rings, a man with a deep, harsh sounding voice picked up the phone.

"Who is it?" snapped Tina's father.

"May I speak to Tina, please? This is her friend, Goten," said Goten.

"...Wait a minute." Harry put the phone down for a second. "Tina, get down here! Some boy is on the phone! I better not find out you're fuckin' him or something, or it'll be your ass!"

_Damn, why is he so harsh? No wonder Tina doesn't like talking about her family._ thought Goten.

A few seconds later, Tina was on the phone.

"Hello?" said Tina.

"Hey, you're talking to the sexiest man alive," said Goten.

"Really? Well I'll have to let Goten know I met you!" said Tina.

"Funny. So how are you?"

"Um...alright, I guess. Are you okay? You sound tired."

"Tired isn't the word for it."

"Really? Are you sick?"

"Let's put it this way. You ever see that James Bond movie where Bond is strapped to a table and has a laser aimed at his manhood?"

"Yeah."

"Compared to how I feel, that would be paradise."

"Aww, poor Goten. You want to go out today? You might feel better."

"Yeah, that would be great. So where do you want to go?"

"How about the movies?"

"Sure. What time should I come get you?"

"2 in the afternoon. And don't be late, or I'll aim a laser at your manhood myself."

"Ouch...yes ma'am."

"Okay, bye Goten."

"Bye Tina."

Tina hung up the phone and turned to her father, who was sitting on the couch and reading a newspaper. She slowly approached him but purposely kept her distance.

"Dad..."

"What?"

"I'm going out today."

"Where?"

"I'm going to the movie's with my friend. He's..."

"You mean that boy who just called?"

"Yeah. His name is Goten. He's really nice."

"...Fine, just make sure you're not too late."

"Okay...oh Dad there's one more thing."

"What the hell do you want now?"

"Well a few kids from my school are going to a theme park after school's out and I was wondering if I could go with them."

"Are you out of your damn mind? I'm not paying for some little juvenile park!"

"I'll pay for it myself! I've got enough. It's only thirty dollars."

"And you're going with this Goten boy, aren't you?"

"...Yes."

"I'll let you go, but I don't want to hear anything else about this Goten kid, you hear me? Don't let me find out something else is going on with you two."

"Thank you, Dad."

"Whatever. Get the hell out of my face." Harry went back to his newspaper.

Tina ran to her room and went straight to her closet. She shifted through her clothes in search of something to wear. She had to be perfect for Goten. She wanted to tell him about the abuse, both physical and emotional, but that would be unfair to lay all her problems on him like that. At least that's the way she felt. But that didn't matter now. She was going to spend time with the one person who could make her feel better. And that's all that mattered. 

********

Goten was busy going through his clothes and trying to find something to wear. He had a lot in his wardrobe, but everything seemed to look ugly to him. He finally found the perfect outfit: a black silk T-Shirt, thin gold chain around his neck, a thin red shirt over his silk shirt with the buttons open, black jeans, and tan Timberland boots. Goten got dressed, then jumped in front of the mirror and started making sure his hair was slick and even. He glanced at his clock and realized it was only 11:45. Saiyans do tend to get dressed faster than normal people. Now he just had to wait. And while he waited, he had one other thing to take care of: transportation. He already had a learner's permit and a junior license, but he also needed an adult in the car with him. And Goku was gone with the family car. Goten got an idea. He ran to the phone and dialed the number for Trunks's house. Bulma picked up two rings later.

"Briefs residence," said Bulma.

"Hi Bulma. It's Goten."

"Oh, hi Goten! I haven't seen you in a while! What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering, can I..."

"No, you can't borrow my car."

"Why not?"

"Because your sixteen."

"Well could you give me a ride? Please? I would really appreciate it."

"What's her name, Goten?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?!"

"Come on. Who's the lucky lady?"

"...Her name's Tina. We want to go to the movies today, but I can't get a ride. Please Bulma, could you give me a ride?"

"I'm sorry, but I have Capsule Corp. business to take care of. But...hmmm...hold on Goten."

Bulma put the phone down and walked into the living room, where Vegeta was doing pushups on the floor. She leaned over him and smiled.

"Vegeta, honey?" 

"What?!" snapped Vegeta.

"Can you do me a big favor?" asked Bulma.

"No."

"Oh, all I want you to do is give Goten a ride to the movies."

"That little fool can fly, can't he?"

"Yes, but he's taking a girl with him."

"So he can teach her how to fly, too."

"Vegeta, please? I'll give you a reward."

"Woman, what could you possibly have that I would want?"

"Vegeta, when you do those pushups, and you look at me, what do you think of?"

Vegeta stopped and sat on the floor. He thought over what Bulma was proposiong.

"...Fine. But they better not say a thing to me, you understand?!"

Bulma walked back to the phone and picked it up.

"Goten?"

"Yeah?" replied Goten.

"What time do you need Vegeta to be at your house?"

"Between 1:30 and 2:00."

"Okay. He'll be there."

"Thanks, Bulma. You're the best."

"Yeah, I know."

At around 1:45, Goten heard a horn repeatedly honking in the driveway. He ran out of his room at super speed, kissed Chi Chi on the cheek, and bolted out the door. Chi Chi had no idea what hit her.

"Get in the back and keep your mouth shut," snapped Vegeta.

"Thanks, Vegeta. I really appreciate..." started Goten.

Vegeta cleared his throat and started revving the engine. Goten sat back and shut his mouth, but he did have a sly smile on his face that was pissing Vegeta off.

"Address?" asked Vegeta.

"Sorry. Too busy shutting up," replied Goten.

"You know I'll just leave you here..."

Goten quickly said the address and they were on their way. Vegeta drove extremely quickly. Apparently he wanted to be done with this as soon as possible. Goten just sat back and thought about Tina. He would be with her soon. Within five minutes, Vegeta stopped in front of her house.

"Hurry up and get her," said Vegeta.

Goten jumped out of the car and ran to the front door of Tina's house. He straightened his shirt, slicked his hair over once more, and rang the doorbell. Tina came out a few seconds later.

"You're right on time," said Tina.

Goten couldn't say a thing. He was just stunned. Tina stood in the doorway, wearing a tight blue T-Shirt, a short black skirt, and her hair in braids. Goten stammered and stuttered, but he couldn't get a word out.

"Goten? What's wrong?" asked Tina.

"You...you look beautiful," said Goten.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Um...I'm sorry, what am I doing here again?"

"Just follow my lead, boy. You're lucky I like that dense side of you."

Goten snapped back to normal and held out his arm. He almost lost it there, but only for a minute. Tina took his arm, and they walked back to the car. Goten opened the door for Tina, watched her get in, then got in on the other side of the car. 

"Tina, this is my chauffeur," started Goten. Vegeta growled loudly.

"Uh...friend..." Vegeta growled even more loudly.

"Uh...guy I know named Vegeta. Vegeta, this is Tina."

"Nice to meet you," said Tina.

"Likewise," said Vegeta. Goten was shocked he said anything at all. But at least he wasn't yelling.

Vegeta started moving in the direction of the nearest movie theater. Tina stared out of her window and sighed. She was happy to be there, but she dreaded going home. Something told her to open up to Goten right there, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Goten got a strange feeling that something was wrong.

"Tina, you okay?" asked Goten.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Tina. She inched toward Goten and put her head on his shoulder. "Now."

Goten put his arm around Tina and looked down at her. She looked back up at him. She was almost ready to open up, but she had to choose her words carefully.

"Goten, can I ask you something?" asked Tina.

"Of course," said Goten.

"Can I count on you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...can I count on you for support?"

"Of course. You know I'll always be here for you."

"And if I had a problem, I could talk to you about it, right?"

"You can tell me anything. Wait a minute...you're not really a man, are you?! Oh, Trunks said this would happen!"

"See, that's why I love you." Tina smiled and put her arm over Goten's chest. Goten got a scared look on his face that she didn't see.

_Love?! Did she just say love?! I'm not ready for love! Wait...maybe she meant like...brother and sister love. Yeah that's it...isn't it? Who am I kidding, this ain't brother and sister love!_ thought Goten.

Vegeta could see Goten's shocked expression in the rearview mirror. He smiled to himself and kept driving. Within a few minutes, they were at the theater. Vegeta turned his head halfway to the side.

"I'll be back in two and a half hours to get you. If you're not here when I come, you'll have to fly home," said Vegeta.

"Uh...yeah, Vegeta. Okay," said Goten.

Goten and Tina got out the car and watched Vegeta speed away. Goten scratched his head and laughed. Tina gave him a curious look.

"Fly? What did he mean by that?" asked Tina.

"Uh...oh, Vegeta's a big comedian! You know the type, everything's a joke! Heh heh..." replied Goten.

"I guess so. So, what movie do you want to see?"

"Whatever you want to see. Lady's choice."

"Wow, you're such a gentleman. I never knew this side of you existed."

"Neither did I..."

Tina and Goten walked into the theater, which was huge, and checked out all of the movies they were playing. They came across one poster that had a picture of Mr. Satan standing over Cell's broken body. The poster read, "Power and Triumph: The Mr. Satan Story". Tina and Goten both got a good laugh out of the poster.

"That guy is so fake. I know he didn't really beat Cell. I heard there was a little boy at the tournament that really beat him. Too bad it was before we were born, huh?" said Tina.

"Yeah. That reminds me, you gotta meet my big brother Gohan," said Goten.

Goten and Tina walked around the theater some more and saw one poster that caught Tina's eye. It was one of those sappy love flicks, called "Dangerous Love", which didn't mean a thing to Goten. But he could tell Tina wanted to see it.

"What do you think of this one?" asked Tina.

"This looks good. I was actually looking forward to it," Goten lied.

"Great, let's get some tickets."

There was hardly any line, so the couple got up to the counter pretty quickly. Goten bought both of the tickets with his own money, naturally, and the two of them went off in search of the theater. Half way through the theater, Goten spotted somebody familiar nearby.

"Hey, Trunks!" said Goten. Trunks turned around and saw him.

"Hey, Goten!" Trunks walked up to Goten. Marron was walking with him.

"Hey, Marron. How are you?" asked Goten.

"I'm fine, thanks. Hey Tina," said Marron.

"This is cute. So, you and Trunks, huh? I never saw it coming," said Tina.

"Uh...hey it's not like that. We're just two friends seeing a movie together, nothing more," said Trunks.

"Sure, buddy. I believe you," said Goten.

"Tina, you gotta help this boy. His mind isn't right," said Trunks.

"I know, but I can handle it," said Tina.

"So, what are you seeing?" asked Goten.

"Oh, man, we're gonna see that new Jet Li flick! That thing looks good!" said Trunks.

"I've been waiting forever to see it," said Marron.

"What? You mean... 'The Seven Assassins'? But...I thought you and me were gonna see that..." said Goten.

"Sorry, Goten, but you seemed busy, and I knew Marron wanted to see it. What are you gonna see anyway?" asked Trunks.

"Oh...um...just...this movie. Uh...the name escapes me at the moment..." said Goten.

"We're going to watch Dangerous Love," said Tina.

"Oh really? Well uh...*snicker*...that sounds...lovely. You two enjoy," said Trunks.

"Thank you, Trunks. You're too kind," grumbled Goten.

"Anytime, pal of mine. Well, we better get to our seats. Oh, one more thing. How did you two get here?" asked Trunks.

"Your dad gave us a ride," said Goten.

"Oh, man, you have my sympathy." Trunks patted Goten on the shoulder and then walked away. "Enjoy the movie!" Goten could hear Trunks and Marron cracking up as soon as they walked away.

"We better get our seats too. You ready, Goten?" asked Tina.

"Yeah...can't wait," said Goten.

Goten and Tina entered the theater and sat in the last row. The entire theater was packed with teenage girls and their miserable dates. Every male in the theater had terrible frowns on their face, and all the girls were talking about how good the movie would be. Goten tried his hardest to hide his dread. The previews started shortly after Goten and Tina entered the theater.

_For years, there have been renowned martial artists,_ played the message. Pictures of Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, and of course, Bruce Lee, appeared on the screen. _But despite all their talents, only one man could be known as the greatest martial artist in the world._ Goten sat up in his seat and was immediately interested. _Now, presented to the world for the first time, the chronicles of the strongest man in history...Mr. Satan!!!!_ Goten sank back down into his seat. _Thrill to the adventures of Earth's greatest hero! Marvel at the trials and tribulations that resulted in a legend! And finally see Mr. Satan's greatest triumph as he defeats the menace known as Cell! Starring Shaquille O'Neal as the menacing Cell, Michael Buffer as the ring announcer of the Cell Games, and The Rock as Mr. Satan himself!_ The Rock entered Cell's ring with a terribly fake-looking afro on his head. _"Hey Cell, do you smell what Mr. Satan is cookin'?!" Don't miss the greatest story ever told! Power and Triumph: The Mr. Satan Story!_

Goten snickered and sat back. At least he had something to laugh about while he was slowly tortured with the boring movie. Two previews later, the movie came on. It was one of those typical love stories: Guy meets girl, girl has problem, guy meets conflict, guy and girl face conflict together, guy and girl fall in love. Goten didn't really care, but Tina seemed to be enjoying the movie. There was one scene in the movie that did get Goten's attention, though. The girl in the story lived in a terrible home. Her father repeatedly beat on her and her mother. Goten felt a little sad for the character, but then he reminded himself that it was a sin to actually like the movie. He glanced to the side and noticed Tina wiping a tear out of her eye. He put his arm around her and looked down at her.

"Pretty sad, huh?" said Goten.

"Yeah..." said Tina. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Goten knew something was wrong, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Are you alright?" asked Goten.

"Goten...do you want to leave? I know this movie is boring you," said Tina.

"Oh no, it's fine. I like it."

"Goten, please? This movie is pretty boring. Do you mind finding something else to do?"

"...Sure. No problem."

Goten and Tina got up and walked out of the theater. One guy in the theater saw them leaving and got an idea. He was proud of Goten for taking a stand.

"Hey I'm with that guy! Let's get out of here!" yelled the guy.

"Yeah!" yelled every other guy in the theater.

Tina found a little bench and sat on it. Goten sat next to her and put his arm around her. All of a sudden, he saw about twenty teenage boys walking out of the theater and heading over to any action flick they could find. 

"Goten, I'm sorry," said Tina.

"For what?" asked Goten.

"For dragging you in there. I know you would rather see that movie Trunks is watching. But I appreciate you watching this with me."

"Hey, it was no problem. You don't need to feel sorry for anything."

"You know, that movie was pretty sad. That girl had all those problems, but she couldn't talk to anyone about it. Not even the guy she loved. It was really deep. It makes me appreciate those who are close to me."

"Tina?"

"Goten, thank you. You have no idea how much this meant to me. I'm so glad I have a friend like you."

"I'm always here, Tina. You know I'll always be there whenever you have something on your mind."

"I know. I really appreciate it."

"Tina, is there anything you need to talk about?"

"...No, nothing. I'm positive."

"Alright. Just let me know whenever you have something on your chest."

"Goten, this means so much to me." Tina looked deep into Goten's eyes. "You mean so much to me."

For the next hour, Goten and Tina sat in each other's arms. Trunks and Marron walked out of their theater and were talking about the movie. They stopped when they saw Goten and Tina sitting on the bench. Trunks and Marron decided to wait until they got up to go talk to them.

"Trunks, you might as well come over," said Goten.

Trunks and Marron laughed and walked over to Goten. Trunks looked down at Goten with a sly grin, and Marron gave the same grin to Tina. Tina was incredibly confused.

"How did you know Trunks was there?" asked Tina.

"His cheap cologne," said Goten.

"Yeah, I ran out, so I borrowed this from Goten," said Trunks.

Goten, Tina, Trunks, and Marron walked through the theater and toward the exit. They were just talking and having a fun time, like teenagers should. They all stood outside of the theater and waited for Vegeta to show up. The car pulled around about ten minutes later. All four of the teenagers walked up to the car. Vegeta was shocked to see all of them.

"How the hell did you multiply?! There were only two of you when I came, and now there are four! What is the meaning of this?!" yelled Vegeta.

"We just kinda found each other, Dad," said Trunks.

"A conspiracy! That's what this is! This is a conspiracy to drive me to madness! Bulma set this whole thing up, didn't she?!"

"Dad, it's not like that. We just found each other."

"...Get in the car. Your mother and I will have words..."

Everybody managed to pile into the car and get comfy. Of course, Vegeta wasn't comfy. Marron and Trunks sat in the front, and Trunks's elbow was stuck in Vegeta's ribcage. Goten and Tina were still sitting in the back. Vegeta just wanted to blow the car up, but then Bulma would bitch.

"Hey Tina, did you ask your parents about Hydro Island?" asked Trunks.

"Oh yeah. They said it was okay," said Tina.

"Great. Goten, you and me have to find some good bathing suits," said Trunks.

"Sounds good to me," said Goten.

"Well I'll have to find the right suit. Something that you would like Goten. Got any requests?" asked Tina.

"Hmmm...dental floss. Definitely dental floss," said Goten.

"You know that's not gonna happen," said Tina.

"Oh, okay...nothing at all, then."

Vegeta tried his hardest to tune out everybody else in the car. If he didn't, he would go insane. He just concentrated on the road and, at one point, contemplated pushing them all out of the car while it moved, starting with Goten. But once again, he would have to hear Bulma's mouth. So he restrained himself and kept driving. The car arrived at Tina's house after a little while. Goten opened the door for Tina and walked her to her house.

"Thanks again, Goten. I had a lot of fun today," said Tina.

"I had fun too. Take care." Goten kissed Tina on the cheek and walked away. Then he turned back around. "At least consider the dental floss bikini?" asked Goten.

"Fine, I'll consider it," Tina laughed. She opened the front door and walked in. Once she was in, she walked upstairs as quietly as possible. She glanced into her father's room and saw that he was asleep. Finally she ran into her room, fell onto the bed, and smiled.

Goten jumped back in the car, and Trunks and Marron got an idea. They each got in the back seat, with Trunks sitting on Goten's right and Marron on his left. Goten looked around for an explanation. Marron inched closer and punched Goten in the arm.

"Uh...ow?" complained Goten.

"So, how long have you been a playa?" asked Marron.

"Don't call me that. We're just friends...really good friends...really close friends...but still, just friends," said Goten.

"Come on, Goten. What's your secret?" asked Trunks.

"What secret? Can't a guy and a girl be just friends? I mean, you too are just friends...allegedly," said Goten.

"Look, if you don't want to admit it, that's cool. But I saw a glint in your eye that I've never seen before," said Marron.

"That's true. The way you look at her is not the way two friends look at each other. But we'll leave it alone...for now," said Trunks.

"You two are crazy. That's all I have to say," said Goten.

Marron looked over to Trunks, grinned, and nodded. Trunks grinned and nodded back. Then he punched Goten in the arm. Marron punched him in the other arm. They took turns punching him in the arms until Goten was rocking back and forth. They were all young adults, but they were still kids a heart.

"Hey, what is this?!" yelled Goten.

"We're gonna beat the truth out of you!" said Marron.

Trunks and Marron continued punching Goten's arms. He tried to fight them off but couldn't. He charged his ki, transformed into a Super Saiyan, and unleashed his power to fight Trunks and Marron off. Trunks powered up and turned into a Super Saiyan too, and all the power blew the roof off of the car and singed Vegeta's hair. Vegeta turned around and glared.

"Out! All of you! OUT!" yelled Vegeta.

Goten, Trunks, and Marron all climbed out of the car. Trunks ran to the other side and leaned over to Vegeta. Vegeta was ready to kill him.

"Dad, we're sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart not to..." Trunks was cut off by Vegeta speeding away.

"Trunks, when are you gonna tell him his hair is on fire?" asked Goten.

"He'll figure it out sooner or later," said Trunks.

"You guys want to come to my house? It might be too dangerous too go to Trunks's house," said Marron.

"Yeah, that's cool. You want to get Pan too?" asked Goten.

"Sure, let's just have a sleepover at my house. I'm sure my parents won't mind," said Marron. With that, Goten, Trunks, and Marron flew toward Marron's house. 

********

Tina was busy writing in her journal as usual. Still writing about Goten, of course. Then she heard her door open. She looked over her shoulder and saw her little sister Bianca standing in the doorway. Bianca walked up to her and glanced at the journal.

"What are you writing?" asked Bianca.

"I'm writing about a friend of mine," replied Tina.

"It's that boy you went out with today?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"You like him, don't you?"

"We're just friends, nothing more. Just...really good friends...really close friends...but still, just friends."

"I bet I know how to tell if you like him or not."

"Oh yeah? How?"

"I know how to read lovelines. Want me to read yours?"

"Okay. Go get your blanket, some popcorn, and get dressed for bed. Then come back. You can sleep in here and read my loveline. But I bet you won't find anything."

"Okay, we'll see."

Bianca ran into the kitchen to make popcorn. Tina was slightly intrigued by the whole idea of having her loveline read. Maybe it would show something about Goten. Maybe it wouldn't. But it would be fun to try something new. So she was ready to test it out. And, all things considered, it was a good day for both she and Goten.

END OF CHAPTER THREE


	4. Lovelines

Goten, Trunks, and Marron made their way through the sky and toward Pan's house. Trunks and Marron were flying side to side, but Goten was a foot behind them both. He was too busy thinking of the day he just had. Trunks and Marron were still talking about the movie they saw.

"So how was your movie, Goten?" asked Trunks. "Goten? Goten?!"

"Huh? What?" said Goten.

"How was your movie?" asked Trunks.

"I dunno. I assume it was good," replied Goten.

"Oh, I get it! That's my boy!" said Trunks.

"Play on, playa!" said Marron.

"Get your minds out the gutter. Tina and I left the theater early, that's all," said Goten.

"Ha! Whatever you say, Goten," said Marron. They continued flying until they found a house with a big hole in the roof. Goten laughed and pointed down to the house.

"There's the house," said Goten.

"What happened to it?" asked Marron.

"Gohan happened to it," replied Goten.

The three of them descended to the house and landed in front of it. Trunks rang the doorbell, and Videl came to the door. 

"Hey guys. How were the movies?" asked Videl.

"You knew about that?" asked Goten.

"Yeah, your mom told me. So, what's her name?" asked Videl.

"...No comment," said Goten.

"Videl, we're all going to sleep over Marron's house tonight, and we were wondering if Pan could come with us," said Trunks.

"I don't have a problem with that. Go on upstairs and tell her," said Videl.

Trunks, Marron, and Goten all walked up the stairs and towards Pan's room. There was a sign on the door that read, "ENTER AND YOU DIE; ESPECIALLY IF YOUR NAME IS GOTEN". Trunks knocked on the door and waited. The door cracked slightly and Trunks could see a portion of Pan's face.

"What's the password?" asked Pan.

"Goten is stupid," answered Trunks and Marron.

"Access granted," said Pan. She opened the door and let them all in.

"You know, for my niece, you sure don't show a lot of respect," said Goten.

"When do I ever show anyone respect? Now what can I do for all of you?" asked Pan.

"Well we're having a sleepover at my house. You want to come? Your mom already said you could," said Marron.

"Really? Cool. Give me some time to pack my stuff," said Pan.

"Pan, can I use your phone?" asked Marron.

"Sure, go ahead." Pan pointed at the phone sitting next to her bed. Marron called her parents to ask if the sleepover was okay.

"Oh, Goten I heard you went on a...friendly outing today. You want to tell me about it?" asked Pan.

"No, I do not," said Goten.

"The guy is in love. He's just in denial," said Trunks.

"Hey, my parents said it's okay," said Marron.

"Okay, let's all split up, pack, and meet at Marron's house," said Trunks.

"Alright, I'll see you guys there," said Goten. He opened the window and flew toward his house.

"I'll go with him. It'll give me a chance to see my poor dad," said Pan. She followed Goten to his house.

"Alright, I'll run by my house and get my stuff," said Trunks.

"Okay, I'll let Videl know we're all gone," said Marron.

"Later," said Trunks as he climbed out the window.

"Later," said Marron as she walked out of the door.

******

"Popcorn ready?" asked Tina.

"Yup," said Bianca.

"Ready for bed?"

"Yup."

"Movies and CD's ready?"

"Yup."

"Okay, then we're ready. What do we do first?"

"Um...music?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Put anything on."

Bianca ran to the CD player and put something in. It took for a few seconds for the song to start, and when it did, Tina's heart skipped a beat. It was "All My Life" by KC and Jojo. Tina put her hand to her heart and started thinking about Goten.

"Tina, what's wrong?" asked Bianca.

"Nothing. I just really like this song," said Tina.

Tina hummed along to the tune of the song. When it came to the chorus, Tina stretched out on her bed and sang along with it.

"All my life, I've prayed for someone like you," Tina sang. Bianca sang along with her, and the two sisters sang the song together. 

*******

Within half an hour, Goten, Trunks, and Pan had all arrived at Marron's house. They were all gathered in Marron's room, blasting music that could have made any normal person go deaf. It was Marron's Eminem CD. Eminem actually said the dreaded "F" word fifteen times in one verse. Krillin was in the next room over, and he couldn't take the music.

"I don't get these kids and their rap music, 18. I mean all this cursing and vulgarity. It makes no sense," said Krillin.

"Oh Krillin, let the kids have their fun. Besides, I kinda like Eminem. He's got talent," said 18.

"Oh yeah, saying the 'F' word fifteen times in one verse. That's talent alright." Suddenly Krillin could hear all the kids in the one room singing along with Eminem.

"I'M SLIM SHADY, YES I'M THE REAL SHADY! ALL YOU OTHER SLIM SHADY'S IS JUST IMITATING!" yelled everyone in Marron's room.

"See, the kids have talent too," said 18.

"I need an aspirin," said Krillin.

Back in Marron's room, Pan was getting ready to do her specialty: lovelines. She could predict a person's love life just by feeling the lines on their palm. Her first subject would be Marron. Marron held out her hand while Pan read her palm.

"Okay...Marron...you will be united with the one person you want the most," said Pan.

"Really? Thanks, Pan! Do Trunks next!" said Marron.

"No way. I don't go for that voodoo stuff," said Trunks.

"It's not voodoo, Trunks. It's just natural talent. Now let me read your loveline," said Pan.

"Oh fine. But if you say I'm gay, I'll quit on the spot," said Trunks.

"Alright, give me your hand." Trunks extended his hand, and Pan took it. She closed her eyes and ran her finger along his palm. Trunks just watched her finger move along his hand. Pan stopped eventually and looked up at him.

"Well?" asked Trunks.

"Hmm...this is interesting," said Pan.

"Really? What is it?" asked Trunks.

"Trunks...you are gay," said Pan.

"That's it, I quit," said Trunks.

"I'm kidding, Trunks! I'll do it for real this time!" Pan took Trunks's hand again and scanned his palm with her eyes closed. She opened them back up after a few seconds and look at Trunks again.

"Trunks...you are going to die a virgin," said Pan.

"Alright, Pan, very funny. Enough with the jokes. Seriously, what does it say?" asked Trunks.

"Trunks...I'm not kidding. That's what it says."

Goten and Marron hit the floor hard and rolled around laughing. 

"Alright, Goten, it's your turn," said Pan.

"Oh no way! I know better, you evil woman!" said Goten.

"Come on. I'll tell it to you straight," said Pan.

"Alright, but I better not find out I'm going to die a virgin like Trunks here." Pan took Goten's hand and scanned his palm with her finger, just like she had done with Trunks. After a minute, her eyes suddenly opened and she looked up at Goten with a concerned look on her face.

"Pan, what's the matter? What does it say?" asked Goten.

"I...I must have read it wrong. This can't be right," said Pan.

"Why not? What did it say?"

"Well, it wasn't really happy."

"It wasn't?"

"No. It said that the one you love will face a terrible tragedy, and not even you will be able to save her from it."

"What? Are you serious? This isn't another joke, is it?" 

"No, I'm totally serious. Sorry, Goten."

"I wonder what it means?" said Marron.

"Goten, if what Pan says comes true, you know I got your back. If anything happens, you can count on me," said Trunks.

"Thanks, Trunks. Well, let's not dwell on this, okay? Let's just enjoy the rest of the night," said Goten. Deep in the back of Goten's mind, his fears were nearly confirmed. His worry for Tina became even more strong.

********

"Tina, you ready for me to read your loveline?" asked Bianca.

"Sure, let's see what you can do," said Tina.

"Okay. Give me your hand." Tina extended her hand. Bianca scanned her palm, just as Pan had done. Then she looked up at Tina and smiled.

"Is it good?" asked Tina.

"Better than good,"said Bianca.

"Really? Tell me."

"It says that the one you love will fight for you when you need him the most."

"Really? Wow...does that mean...Goten? Nah, this couldn't be for real. This is just playing, right? These lovelines aren't true, right?"

"They are true. Looks like Goten will be there for you when you need him."

"I think I like this loveline thing."

And so the night went on. Tina and Bianca stayed up all night, as did Goten, Trunks, Pan, and Marron. And little did Tina and Goten know that they each had gotten their lovelines read. But how come Tina's loveline was so positive and Goten's was so negative? Could they both be true?

END OF CHAPTER FOUR 


	5. The Mall

It had been a couple of weeks since the sleepover at Marron's house, and now there were only two days of school left. Grades had already gone in, so everybody who showed up basically got to have fun for the last couple of days. Some people watched movies, some people brought video games, some people listened to music, and some people just hung out. Goten and Trunks were playing basketball in the gym. Tina and some of her friends were sitting on the bleachers talking and watching the boys play ball.

"Watch out, Trunks! You might as well call me Allen Iverson!" said Goten. 

"Whatever you say, Goten. But didn't the Lakers beat the Sixers?" asked Trunks.

"That was a fluke! The Sixers are gonna get 'em next season!"

(Author's Note: That's absolutely true. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a 76ers fanatic! Representin' Philly, baby! Oh sorry, back to the story...)

"Just call me Shaq, Goten! You know why?" Trunks shot the ball and missed. Goten caught it in midair, ran to the opposite end of the court, and delivered a beautiful layup.

"Because you keep laying those bricks? What, are you building a house or something?" said Goten.

"Now _that_ was a fluke. Gimme the rock," said Trunks. Goten checked the ball to Trunks. Trunks put his back to Goten and dribbled the ball. He turned, faked, then turned in the opposite direction, and ran toward his basket. Goten raced after him and reached for the ball. Trunks twirled the ball behind his back and to his other hand, then he soared into the air and dunked the ball. He hung from the rim and grinned down at Goten.

"Lakers style, baby!" said Trunks.

"That's alright. I can bounce back from that," said Goten.

"Hey, you guys have twenty seconds left in the period! Get ready for your next class!" said the gym teacher.

"Alright, let's make this quick so I can embarrass you in time for my next class," said Trunks.

"Whatever, Trunks. Pass me the ball," said Goten.

"You can do it, Goten!" said Tina from the bleachers.

"I just want to dedicate this to my future baby's mother," said Goten with a smirk.

"Aww, he's dedicating it to Trunks," said Tina.

Goten dribbled the ball and circled around Trunks. Trunks reached for the ball a couple of times, but Goten moved the ball too quickly for him. He darted down the court as fast as he could. Trunks ran after him. Then, in a split second, he grabbed the ball as it bounced off of the floor and ran back to his basket. Goten's feet screeched across the floor and he ran back to Trunks. Trunks stopped at the three-point line and shot the ball. The ball hit the rim, bounced, and came back out. Goten jumped up, got the rebound, and ran back down the court. Trunks ran extra fast and was at the three-point line ahead of Goten. He crouched down to block Goten, and before he knew it, Goten performed a beautiful, Allen Iverson-style crossover that confused him. He circled around Trunks, jumped into the air, and slammed the ball into the net. Goten hung from the rim and grinned down just as Trunks had done.

"Sixers style, baby!" said Goten.

"Time's up! Move on, people!" said the gym teacher.

"That's right, Goten. Show Trunks that Sixers style!" said Tina.

A few periods later, it was lunch time. Goten, Trunks, and Marron were sitting at the same table, as usual. Tina walked up to their table and tapped Goten on the shoulder. 

"Goten, can I talk to you for a second?" asked Tina.

"Sure, Tina," said Goten. He got up and walked away from the lunch room and into an empty hallway with Tina. "What's up?"

"Well, since tomorrow is the last day of school, there's no real rush to get home. So I was wondering if you would want to come to the mall with me tomorrow so we can look for bathing suits," said Tina.

"Yeah, I'd love to. In fact, Trunks and Marron are already going."

"Cool, we can all go. One more thing. I noticed today when you were playing ball with Trunks that you were moving really fast."

"Yeah, I work out a little..." Goten flexed his muscles like a big show-off.

"I've never seen anybody move that fast before. How do you do it?"

"Well, you gotta take your vitamins, say your prayers, and eat your vegetables like a good little Hulkster," said Goten in a bad impersonation of Hulk Hogan. 

"I'm serious. Nobody in this school moves that fast. Nobody who races moves that fast! Is there some kind of secret to it?"

"Not really. I just try hard, I guess."

"There's a lot I don't know about you, isn't there, Son Goten?" asked Tina as she moved closer to Goten and closed her eyes. "I kinda like that about you." Goten and Tina stood and kissed in the hallway for ten minutes, and there were no interruptions the entire time.

*******

Goten got into the house at about 3:30 in the afternoon. Goku was in the kitchen, raiding the fridge as usual. Goten walked into the kitchen, grabbed a can of soda, and sat at the kitchen table with his father.

"Hey, son. You seem happy," said Goku.

"Yeah, a little. I guess it's because it's the end of the school year," said Goten.

"Goten, I may not be the smartest man in the world, but I don't think the summer vacation is the only reason you're so happy."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you like this Tina girl even more than you let on. Probably more than you know. Have you taken my advice?"

"I sure did. And it seems to be working. We're just having fun every time I see her. But..."

"But what?"

"I have this feeling, Dad. I just have this feeling that something is wrong. I have this feeling that something is happening with Tina and she wants to tell me but can't."

"Something like what?"

"Well, when we were at the movies, there was this scene where the main character is being abused by her father. Tina seemed a little upset, and then she wanted to leave."

"So you think there's trouble at home?"

"Yeah. And if there is, I can't just let it happen. But I'm no hero. If Tina wants to open up to me, I want her to be able to. What should I do?"

"Well, you definitely don't want to pry. If there is something wrong, then Tina will let you know. But only when she's ready to. It might not be easy for her to open up about it."

"You're right, Dad. I'll just leave it alone. How did you get so deep?"

"Son, when you have to sit and listen to Chi Chi talking about all of those romance novels for so many years, you learn a thing or two."

"Well I'm glad you learned some things. And I'm glad you're passing it on to me." Goten got up and hugged his father. "Now I can pass it on to my kids," he said as he left the kitchen.

"Kids?" Goku scratched his head.

*******

The next day, Goten, Trunks, Marron, and Tina were all sitting in their homeroom, waiting for their report cards. Tina and Trunks were calm about it, but Goten and Marron were chewing their fingernails and sweating bullets. The teacher walked around the room passing out the report cards. When Trunks got his, he looked at it and smiled.

"Hm, A's and B's. Not bad," said Trunks. Marron got hers next.

"Alright! B's and C's!" said Marron. Tina got hers next.

"All A's! Perfect! What did you get, Goten?" asked Tina. Goten got his next.

"All...something else..." said Goten. Trunks leaned over and looked at Goten's report card.

"Man, I haven't seen so many of those since we were listening to Marron's Eminem CD," said Trunks. Tina looked at it.

"Goten, these are B's and C's!" said Tina.

"Got ya!" Goten and Trunks high-fived.

Everybody was dismissed a few minutes later. The four friends walked a few blocks and got on the bus. Everybody sat way in the back, with Goten sitting next to Tina and Trunks sitting next to Marron. They were talking about fun times they had over the year, and at that moment Goten appreciated just being a young man and hanging out with his best friends.

"Goten, remember that time we were doing that project in chemistry, and we accidentally blew up the beaker, started a chain reaction, and blew up every beaker in the room?" asked Trunks.

"Yeah, I remember that! Hey, remember the time that freshman grabbed Marron's butt and she beat him up in front of everyone at lunch?" asked Goten.

"That was hilarious! Oh...sorry Marron, you still seem a little mad about that," said Trunks.

"That little pervert had no business touching my butt!" said Marron.

"Here's the one. Do you remember the Halloween Party, when Goten came in a bum costume?" asked Tina.

"I remember that! We all had a good laugh!" said Trunks.

"He had flies swirling around him and everything!" said Marron.

"Guys, what are you talking about? I didn't wear any costume to the party," said Goten.

Everybody kept laughing and joking until the bus stopped in front of the mall. They all got off of the bus and walked into the mall while looking for a swimwear store. Eventually, they came across a good store and went in. Tina and Marron walked toward the ladies swimwear section, and Goten tried to follow them. Trunks grabbed Goten's ear and pulled him toward the men's section.

"You find yourself some suits, boys. We'll be fine by ourselves," said Tina.

"Goten, did you lock your mind in the gutter or something?" asked Trunks.

"But...but...but...but..." stammered Goten.

"That's exactly my point. Now come on," said Trunks.

Tina and Marron looked through all of the bathing suits on display. All of them were good, but they couldn't decide upon anything. Marron found a one-piece pink bikini and decided to go with that. Tina kept looking, and eventually she found one that was perfect. She held it up and showed it to Marron.

"What do you think of this one?" asked Tina.

"That one? Wow, that one's great! You'll knock Goten out with that one!" said Marron.

"You think it's a little too revealing?"

"Nah, it's fine. Besides, I want to see the look on Goten's face when he sees it."

"Okay. Yours looks good too. Trunks is really going to like it. No wonder he likes you so much."

"Say what? Trunks? Oh, we're just...yeah I like him too..."

"I knew you did! You finally admitted it!"

"Okay, now you have to make a confession, too. Do you like Goten?"

"...Yeah. Yes, I like him. You happy?"

"Very. Well let's go pay for this stuff and find the guys."

Over in the men's section, Goten and Trunks were busy looking at the selection. Trunks found a pair of black and purple swim trunks that he liked. He decided to get those. Goten was still looking through all of the trunks.

"Find anything good, Goten?" asked Trunks.

"Nah, I can't find any good trunks, Trunks. Hey I said Trunks twice..." said Goten.

"Very funny. You should do what I did. Get something to match your hair."

"That's too easy for a guy with black hair. Unless...of course! Trunks, I have an idea!"

"I thought I smelled something burning..."

"Look, this is perfect." Goten grabbed a pair of black and gold trunks and held them up. "Ta-da! You get it?"

"Uh...no..."

"Look, I can wear these trunks and go to the park as a Super Saiyan! I'll just tell Tina I died my hair, that's all."

"That's a good idea, but can you control your power enough to do that? I mean, one hug could kill her."

"It's fine, Trunks. My dad taught me how to control my power. Besides, it would be really romantic to be with Tina as a Super Saiyan, don't you think?" 

"Romantic? Goten, you're scaring me."

"This is gonna be perfect, Trunks. I can't wait."

Trunks and Goten walked up to the counter and saw Marron and Tina paying for their swimsuits and putting them in bags. Trunks and Goten payed for theirs and walked up to the girls. Marron and Tina purposely hid their bags.

"So, did you ladies find good suits?" asked Trunks.

"We sure did. How about you?" asked Marron.

"Oh yeah, we found some great ones," said Trunks.

"So Tina, can I see your swimsuit?" asked Goten.

"Nope, not until the day we go to the park," said Tina.

"Aww, no fair..."

The four friends made their way out of the mall and back on the bus. They all sat on the bus and talked about the past school year just as before. The bus stopped around Tina's house first. Tina kissed Goten on the cheek, said goodbye to everyone, and got off. Goten, Trunks, and Marron got off at the next stop. They all said goodbye to each other, waved, and flew off toward their respective homes. Goten thought as he flew home. He thought about Tina, and what he and his father had spoken about the day before. If something really was happening to her, he would be there for her. But until the time came, all he wanted to do was have fun.

END OF CHAPTER 5


	6. The Park

It was the big day. It was the day they were all going to go to Hydro Island. And Goten couldn't be happier. It was like Christmas to him. Did you ever wake up early one Christmas morning because you were so eager to go get your presents? That's what it felt like for Goten. 

Goten stood in the bathroom shaving yet again. He was just about to put some shaving creme on his face when he noticed something: there actually was hair on his face! Not very much, but enough to notice. Goten's day just seemed to be getting better. He applied the creme and shaved something that actually existed. This was going to be a great day. He was sure of it.

Goten put on the black and gold trunks he bought the other day, then he stood in front of his mirror. He charged up his ki just a little bit, not too much to cause an explosion, but enough to transform while keeping his power level as low as possible. He concentrated and soon enough he was a Super Saiyan. The trunks matched very well with his hair that was now blonde. He put a white T-Shirt on over the trunks and a pair of black shoes that were water absorbent. Now he was ready.

*******

Tina was in her room getting ready to go. She held up the bikini she bought the other day and admired it. She really hoped Goten would like it because, although he didn't know it, he was the only reason she bought it. Tina put the bikini on and ran to the mirror to see how it fit. At first she was happy to see how it fit, but then she noticed something. There was a dark bruise that was around her pelvic area and could easily be seen even if she wore the bikini. Tina's mind raced as she tried to figure out how to wear the bikini without anyone noticing the bruise. What if Goten saw it? How could she explain it to him? Tina ran through her drawers to find something to cover it up, and she found a pair of white shorts and a black T-Shirt. She put those clothes on over the bikini and prayed to God that Goten wouldn't notice.

*******

Goten waited about half an hour before Goku and Chi Chi were awake. They were dressed and just about ready to go. Now they had to pick up the other kids. They were all piled in a big van that came from one of Bulma's capsules. First they stopped at the Briefs home and picked up Trunks, then they rode by Gohan's house and got Pan, then to Krillin's house to pick up Marron, and finally they went to Tina's house. Amazingly, the van still had plenty of space left. Goten got out of the van and walked up to the front door. He rang the bell, and Tina came out. 

"Hey Goten. I'm glad you...did you dye your hair?" asked Tina.

"Yeah. You like it? I did it for you," said Goten.

"Goten, it's beautiful." Tina stroked Goten's hair playfully.

"Your chariot awaits," said Goten as he motioned toward the van. Tina closed the door behind her, and the two of them walked to the van. They both got in, everybody said there hellos, and soon they were all on their way.

It took about an hour to get to the park. When they got there, Chi Chi handed everybody the tickets that were payed for before they got there. 

"Now, everybody stay together and don't go running..." before she could finish, everyone was gone. "...off. Well at least we're alone, right Goku? Goku?

Chi Chi looked up and saw Goku already on a roller coaster. 

"Woo-hoo!" yelled Goku.

The five teenagers walked around the park. There were so many rides to choose from. They decided to start with a few slow rides, then they graduated to the big and fast rides. After awhile, they all decided to split up and meet later. Goten and Tina stood in line for a roller coaster.

"I love roller coasters. They're so intense. I need a good adrenaline rush now and then," said Tina.

"Ah, I can handle it. It probably won't be that tough," said Goten.

"Oh really? Okay, then I have a challenge for you. Let's see if you can stay on the roller coaster without screaming once."

"Is that all? Piece of cake."

Ten minutes later, they were at the front of the line. They both strapped themselves in and got ready. Tina smirked at Goten.

"Don't forget, Goten. Don't scream," said Tina.

"Hey am I getting anything for this?" asked Goten.

"Nope. Not a thing."

"Shoot."

The ride jolted a little bit, then it started moving slowly. It slowly ascended to the top of a hill like part of the track. Then it hung ominously over the edge and gave everybody a glimpse of what was below. Tina smiled, closed her eyes, and held Goten's hand. Goten looked down and smiled. The ride moved down the hill at a speed that was fast for everyone but Goten. Tina was screaming at the top of her lungs. Goten just smirked as the ride went by at Mach 2, the regulation speed for a roller coaster and probably as fast as one could possibly go. The ride spiraled around the track, hung upside down, and then kept going with everyone upside down. Tina screamed even louder. Then it spiraled again and everyone was right side up. It went up another hill and stopped. Tina was panting and trying to laugh, but there was no breath left to laugh with. The ride finally zoomed down the hill, up another one, and then it slowed down and stopped for the last time. Tina tried to walk off of the ride, but she could barely move. Goten picked her up on his back and carried her out. He sat her on a bench and sat next to her.

"That was okay. How'd you like it?" asked Goten.

"I...I...I'm dizzy...How could you take that ride?!" asked Tina.

"I dunno. Just tough, I guess."

"You...didn't scream the entire time!"

"Nope."

"I'm shocked. Well, I'd walk to another ride with you, but I just need to rest for a second."

Tina rested her head on Goten's shoulder. Goten rubbed her back and tried to help her recover. He guessed it was a pretty intense ride for a normal person. For him it wasn't even as fast as flying.

Tina and Goten got on a bunch of rides after that, and they made their way to the water park. Trunks, Pan, and Marron were already over there. Trunks walked up to Goten and Tina while drying his hair with a beach towel.

"Hey, what took you guys so long? This is great! We already got some lockers to hold our stuff," said Trunks.

"Cool. Tina, you ready to hit the water?" asked Goten.

Tina didn't say anything. She was too scared. There was still that bruise in her bikini zone. She stood there and tried to think of something to say.

"Tina? Hey, you ready for the water?" asked Goten again.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready," Tina finally said.

Tina and Goten walked up to a couple of lockers that Trunks rented keys for. Goten took off his shirt and put it in the locker. Tina slowly took off her shirt and put it in her locker, then she slowly took off her shorts and put them in. Goten's eyes bulged out of his head. Tina's bikini was thin and small, yet not too small. It had leopard print on it and was two pieces. Goten scratched his head and tried to get back to his thoughts.

"Tina, you...you look great," said Goten.

"You really like it? I'm glad," said Tina.

Tina was uncomfortable wearing that bikini in front of Goten. Luckily, she had a towel that she brought with her. She went back in the locker, got her towel, and tied it around her waist. Then she and Goten searched for the perfect ride. They found one ride that wasn't too fast or slow. It was just a nice ride through the water. Goten and Tina stood in line for the ride. About half way up, Tina took off the towel and held it in her arms so that it wouldn't get wet on the ride. But she was standing in front of Goten, so he wouldn't notice the bruise. Eventually they made it to the front of the line.

There were these tube-like seats that you would sit in when riding. There were two seats to each tube. Goten and Tina sat in one and were pushed off into the water. The tube rode around in the water, not too fast, but fast enough to be fun. Tina took Goten's hand again and looked around. They were in a white tunnel, filled with flowers and fountains. At one point there was a sprinkler that came from the ceiling. The tube floated under the sprinkler, and the couple was showered with water. Tina and Goten laughed almost out of impulse, and then the tube kept moving. There was a slope in the tunnel. The tube rode down the slope at a faster speed, and before they knew it they found themselves in a pool of water. The tube floated to the edge of the pool where Goten and Tina got out. Tina looked own at herself and laughed. Her towel was soaked.

"Well, so much for drying off..." said Tina.

"Not necessarily," said Goten.

Goten stood in front of Tina and put his arms around her. The heat that his Super Saiyan body generated was enough to dry her off and keep her pleasantly warm. Tina looked up at Goten and smiled.

"I always have that feeling when you hold me," said Tina. She held her arms around Goten's waist and closed her eyes. "Warm, safe...loved."

"Tina," said Goten. He gently held her chin with his thumb and index finger. Then he led her face to his. "You are loved. I love you."

It had taken awhile for Goten to openly say it, but after a lot of thought Goten decided to stop denying his feelings. It was love, no matter what anyone else would say. A few weeks earlier, he would have called it something else. A strong liking, maybe even lust. But back then he wouldn't have called it love. But now he knew what it was that he felt. Goten loved Tina, and Tina loved Goten. They both felt it. Goten finally led Tina's lips to meet his own, and the two of them shared a passionate kiss right where they stood. And they didn't care where they were. Love will do that to you.

The rest of the day was like magic to them. They caught a few rides and stuff, but mostly they just hung out. Walking around the park and sightseeing could be pretty fun if you were with somebody you cared about. By the time evening came, everybody met back at the entrance and got ready to leave. They all got back in the van, and most of them were exhausted. Goku and Chi Chi were awake and talking about their day. Trunks, Marron, and Pan were all in the second row of seats fast asleep. Tina was asleep on Goten's shoulder. Goten was awake and holding Tina, still letting his Super Saiyan body warm her and keep her comfortable. He had a few things on his mind, and one question remained on his mind the entire ride home. They were at Tina's house within about fifteen minutes. 

"Hey, Tina, we're at your house," said Goten.

"We are? Already?" asked Tina as she woke up. 

Tina and Goten got out of the van. Tina walked to the driver's side, thanked Goku and Chi Chi for bringing her, and then walked back to her house with Goten beside her. They stopped in front of the house and briefly kissed once more.

"I love you," said Tina.

"I love you, too," said Goten.

Tina waved to Goten and opened the door. Goten walked back to the van, sat in the back, and lay his head back. He still had a question on his mind, though. He didn't want to bring it up so he just kept it to himself, but it had been bothering him all day.

_Where did that bruise come from?_ thought Goten. Goten noticed the bruise on Tina's pelvic area, but he didn't say anything about it. It was still bothering him, though. Now his fears about Tina were confirmed. He knew something wasn't right. And no matter what it was, he was going to do something about it.

When Goku, Chi Chi, and Goten finally got home, Goten told his parents that he was going to sleep and walked up to his bedroom. He closed the door behind him, walked to his closet, and changed his clothes. He took off the trunks and T-Shirt and put on his blue and orange gi, the same kind that his father wore. If something really was wrong he needed to be prepared to fight. Finally, he opened the window, jumped out of it, and flew toward Tina's house. He had a bad feeling in his gut on his way there.

END OF CHAPTER 6

  
  
  
  



	7. Superman and Starlight

Tina walked into the house as soon as Goten and the others drove away. It was about 7:30 at night. She walked up to her bedroom as quietly as possible. When she made it to her room, she heard somebody come in behind her. It was Harry, her father. He walked in behind her and slammed the door.

"Why the hell are you so late?" asked Harry.

"I'm not late. It's only 7:30," argued Tina.

"If you value your life, you will keep your mouth shut."

Tina backed away a little.

"What were you doing all this time?" asked Harry.

Tina said nothing back.

"Answer me!" Harry demanded.

"I was at the park, where I said I'd be," answered Tina.

"I don't think so. It doesn't take that long to get on some damn rides. Tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth."

"No, I think you were doing something else. You was fuckin' that boy, wasn't you? You been fuckin' that Goten kid, haven't you?"

"No, Dad! Goten isn't like that! He wouldn't take advantage of me."

"Take off your clothes."

"What? Why?"

"Just take off your damn clothes. We'll see if you're lying."

Tina reluctantly took off her clothes until she was down to her bikini. Her father looked like he was furious. He pushed Tina on the bed and grabbed her legs.

"You thought you could lie to me?! Look at that bruise! You have been fuckin' that kid!" yelled Harry.

"That bruise came from _you!_ You put it there!" said Tina. Harry slapped her hard in the face.

"You keep your damn mouth shut, you hear me?" yelled Harry. Tina tried to push him off of her and he slapped her again.

******

Goten had just flown out of his house and was on the way to Tina's house. He still had a horrible feeling, and he didn't want to think about how that bruise got on Tina's body. He flew as fast as he could and made his way to the house. He was thinking about what he may have to do when he got there. He was still a Super Saiyan, so he could have killed someone if he attacked them. But if someone was hurting Tina, he wouldn't care.

A few minutes later, me made it to Tina's house. He floated in front of the house and looked in the window. His jaw dropped, and his energy flared.

******

Harry was still on top of Tina, trying to pull her bikini off. Tina was still pushing him.

"Get off of me!" demanded Tina. Harry slapped her a third time.

"You better lay still and shut up! I'm your father, damn it!" said Harry.

"You're no father of mine! You just got my mother pregnant!" said Tina.

Harry raised his hand to slap Tina again. But he didn't do it, because something stopped him. Goten flew through the window, grabbed Harry, pulled him off of Tina, drove him through the wall, and slammed him into the opposite wall of his own bedroom. Harry coughed and started to vomit blood. Goten grabbed him by the throat and raised his fist into the air. His fist was trembling, and his ki rose from his body in a yellow flame.

"How dare you? That's your daughter in there," said Goten in a low, angry voice.

"Who...who the fuck are you?" Harry choked.

"Shut up! You don't deserve any answers. You deserve to burn in hell," said Goten. He channeled his ki into his trembling fist and prepared to strike him. Tina ran through the hole in the wall and grabbed Goten's arm. She couldn't have physically stopped him, but she was going to try.

"Goten, stop!" Tina demanded.

"No. He's going to die," said Goten.

"Don't kill him! He's still my dad!"

Goten stopped for a second and thought. Slowly he released Harry's throat and backed up. Harry slumped to the floor and passed out. Goten hung his head low and turned to Tina.

"We're out of here," said Goten.

Tina nodded and ran to her sister's room to get her. She and Bianca came back into Tina's room, where Goten was waiting by the window. Bianca was confused and trying to figure out what was going on. Tina just kept telling her that she would be okay and that they were going to be safe. Goten held Tina in his right arm and Bianca in his left arm. Tina looked out of the window and didn't know what to expect.

"Hold on," said Goten. Tina nodded and held on tight.

Goten floated out of the window with Tina and Bianca.. Tina closed her eyes and got a tighter grip on Goten. He flew toward his house at a speed that was alright for Tina, although she was pretty much overwhelmed. She still couldn't grasp the concept that she was flying. She opened her eyes and looked at Goten. His face was cold, calm, and obviously angry. But she also noticed some relief in his eyes. She didn't realize that Goten was relieved to be able to get her out of such a situation. She looked down at the ground below her. It was hard to recognize anything on the ground when they were flying. They were still flying pretty fast, just not fast enough to make her sick. Tina decided not to ask Goten anything about it just yet. She was just happy that he was there. It was just like what she pictured: Goten swooping in through the window and saving her. That's just what he did.

Goten landed in front of the house. Tina felt kind of odd since she had just flown and was now on solid ground again, and Bianca thought it was fun and wanted to do it again. Goten opened the door and held it open for Tina and Bianca.. They walked into the house, and Goten walked in behind them. Goten looked around for his parents, but they weren't down there. He assumed they were upstairs. As soon as he started walking upstairs, Tina grabbed his arm. He turned around, and Tina hugged him tight. He hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek. Tina buried her head into his chest.

"Thank you," said Tina.

"You're welcome," said Goten.

Goten led the girls to his room, then he walked to his parents' room while Tina and Bianca got settled in his room. He knocked on the door lightly and heard someone say "Come in" from inside. Chi Chi was sleeping, and Goku was doing situps on the floor. He saw Goten, stopped, and sat down. Goten walked in and sat next to Goku.

"Goten, what's wrong?" asked Goku.

"Tina's here," said Goten.

"She is? When did she get here?"

"Just now. I brought her here along with her sister."

"Why?"

"I was just at her house."

"Oh, Goten..."

"No, Dad. You don't understand. Look, that feeling I told you about...it was true. Tina's dad...he beats her, rapes her...he doesn't treat her like his daughter. I couldn't just leave her there. Please, can they just stay here? At least long enough to settle all of this."

"Sure, son. I'll let your mother know in the morning."

"Thanks, Dad." Goten got up and started to walk away. Then he heard his father speak.

"Goten, wait." Goku stood up and put his hand on Goten's shoulder. "Are you alright?" asked Goku.

"I guess so," said Goten.

"I'm proud of you, Goten."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me."

Goten walked back to his room. Tina was sitting on his bed and looking out of the window. Bianca was asleep on his bed, which was surprising considering the adrenaline rush she just had. Goten sat on the floor on the opposite side of the room and stared at the wall. Tina turned to him.

"Goten? Can I ask you something?" asked Tina.

"Sure, Tina," said Goten.

"Why did you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you come for me? You didn't have to."

"Yes, I did. I couldn't let your dad keep doing what he was doing. I had to put a stop to it."

"Is that the only reason?"

"No. There's another reason. I love you."

"Goten," said Tina, "can you take me flying again?"

"Yeah...no problem," said Goten with a smile. He stood up and held Tina in his arms. "You sure you can take it?"

"Yeah, I can take it," said Tina.

Goten floated out of the window with Tina in his arms again. By now, the sun was on its way down. The sky was reddish-orange, the perfect backdrop for flight. Goten flew slowly at first, so as not to make Tina sick. Tina could see everything under her perfectly now. She looked around at everything below her. They were only about ten feet above the houses. They eventually moved into a city area, and the buildings became much higher. Goten flew a little higher, and now they were just above a few skyscrapers. 

"Tina, you ever see that Superman movie?" asked Goten.

"Yeah," said Tina.

"You remember how Superman and Lois Lane were flying?"

"They were flying hand in hand."

"Yeah. Kinda like this." Goten slowly loosened his grip on Tina, then he got a grip on her forearm. Tina held his forearm, and then their hands loosened a little bit more and they held each other's hands. Now they were flying hand in hand. Goten slowed down a little so that it would be easier for them to hold each other's hands. Tina laughed and screamed at once as Goten flew even higher, and now they were in the clouds. Goten came back down a little more, and they were just exiting the city. Now they were near a valley. Goten pulled Tina back to him and held her with both arms. As they flew, Goten looked down in the valley and saw a familiar figure. He waved at the person standing on the ground.

"Hey, Piccolo!" said Goten.

Piccolo looked up from his meditation and saw Goten. He nodded and closed his eyes again.

"Was that guy green?" asked Tina.

"Yeah, he's a good friend of mine," said Goten.

The two of them kept flying. Tina looked down at the mountains and trees that were below her. It was unbelievable for her. They crossed another valley, and then Goten saw somebody else that he recognized. He waved down at this person too. The person was tuning up a car in the valley.

"Hey, Yamcha!" said Goten.

Yamcha looked up, saw Goten, and waved. Tina turned to Goten.

"Another friend?" asked Tina.

"Yup. I have a lot of friends out here," said Goten. Goten and Tina kept flying and stopped at a huge hill that bordered another city. Goten set Tina down on the ground. She sat down and tried to regain her bearings. Goten sat next to her and looked up. It was night now, and the sky was full of stars. Tina was smiling and looking at the stars.

"It's funny. Ever since I was a little kid, I would always sit outside and look at the stars. It would just make me feel relaxed," said Tina.

"Stars are like that. I do that too," said Goten.

"I don't think they can calm me down, now. I was just _flying_. How can I explain that to people? How do you do it?"

"I'm just used to it. Ever since Gohan taught me how to do it, it's just been easy."

"Do you fly often?"

"Yeah. It's part of my life, I guess."

"You know, I always had this feeling. I guess it was just kid stuff, but I always had this feeling that someone would fly through my window and take me away. It was torture living in that house. I thought it would never end."

Goten didn't say anything back. He really couldn't think of anything to say.

"But then you made the fantasy real. You made it reality, Goten. I don't think I could ever show you how much that means to me."

Goten continued to be silent.

"It's like my God picked me to be a tortured soul, you know? It's like He wanted to torture me because of something I did. Maybe it's my fault. Maybe..."

"No, Tina, this isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself."

"Then why, Goten? Why?"

"...I wish I had an answer for you, Tina."

Goten held Tina close to him. He spoke very softly into her ear, and while she was still listening to him, she continued to look at the stars. 

"I know it's hard, Tina. And I know there's not a lot of people who are going to understand what you're going through. But I want you to understand that there is at least one person in this world who will help you. And you know that nothing will ever stop me from helping you, supporting you, or loving you. I'll always be here, Tina."

"Goten, you mean so much to me. I feel like you're all I've got. Thank you for everything."

"Always, Tina. I'm always here. Remember that," said Goten.

"I'm so tired..." said Tina.

"Well, we'll get some rest tonight, and tomorrow we'll handle all of this, okay?"

"Okay. I'm just glad you came when you did."

Tina and Goten sat for another hour and stared at the stars. Then, when it was getting late, Tina finally fell asleep in Goten's arms. Goten picked Tina up and flew back home. He was upset, but at the same time he was happy. He protected the one that he loved, and he would continue to protect her, for as long as it took. And nothing in the world could stop him.

END OF CHAPTER 7


	8. The Right Thing

It was 2:30 A.M. Tina and Bianca were sound asleep in Goten's bed. Tina was sleeping better than she had slept in a long time. She had no idea that, for tonight, she had a guardian watching over her. She knew he was there, but she had no idea he was watching over her. She had been sleeping ever since she was holding him under the stars. And he had kept a silent vigil, a watchful eye, over her. 

Goten was floating in the corner of his room with a watchful eye on Tina. He was edgy, a bit jumpy. And he was questioning himself. He had followed his instincts right on the spot. He hadn't thought the situation through. But should he have done that? He didn't have time to think, right? Did he do the right thing?

_I did the right thing...I did the right thing, _thought Goten. _There was no time to think. I just had to do what was right. Anyone would have done that, right? Bringing Tina here was the right thing to do. I did the right thing..._

Goten wasn't sure about that. He tried to convince himself, but he wasn't really sure. All of this wondering and worrying was draining him. He needed to rest. There would be plenty of time to think about it in the morning. He floated down to the floor and sat in the corner. It took half an hour, but he eventually fell asleep.

********

**The hallway was dark. And long. But Goten continued to walk through it. He walked and walked and still there was darkness. Suddenly something appeared in the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw somebody familiar coming toward him. Frieza fell from the sky and swiped at Goten with his tail. Goten moved his head to the side and dodged it. Frieza through repeated punches and kicks at Goten, who just dodged every attack. Frieza flew back and fired a huge blast. Goten caught the blast and repelled it. The blast flew back and incinerated Frieza's body until it was nothing but dust. **

**"Ha! No problem! Bring 'em on! I'm the man! I'm the man!" chanted Goten.**

**Goten continued walking through the hallway. He found himself walking into a large room that was just as dark as the hall he just came out of. Suddenly a green light appeared in front of him. He stared at the light and watched it materialize. It took form, and then he recognized it. Cell stood in front of him with his ki charged. He put his arms to his side and cupped them. Goten could hear him chanting the name of the Kame Hame Ha, and then the blast flew toward him. Goten jumped above Cell's blast and flew toward him. He extended his fist, charged ki into it, and rammed it through Cell's chest. The punch caused an explosion in Cell's chest, and then his entire body exploded. Goten looked back at the smoke that came from Cell's destroyed body.**

**"I'm insulted! Give me a real challenge!" said Goten.**

**Goten continued down the corridor. The hallway seemed to become narrower, and then wider again. Suddenly Goten could hear some kind of maniacal laugh. Buu appeared out of the ground right behind him and stepped toward him. Goten smashed the back of his fist into Buu's face. Then he turned around, hit Buu's legs with a foot sweep, sent him far away with a jab to the chest, and finally destroyed him with a ki blast.**

**"Look, this is just boring. I'm unstoppable, baby!" said Goten.**

**Goten heard laughing again. It sounded like the laughter of a grown man. Deep and gruff. It was further down the hallway, too far for him to see. He walked and walked as the sound of laughter became louder. Then it stopped. There was silence for a moment. Then he heard a new set of laughter. Two people laughing this time. A male's voice and a female's voice. And he recognized both voices. He walked further into the hallway, then he found himself in a new place. It was Hydro Island, the amusement park he had been to just yesterday. At first there was a big crowd of people, but then everybody seemed to disappear. There were only two people left: Goten and Tina.**

**Goten could see himself holding Tina and smiling. He could see them kissing. But he couldn't touch them. He reached out to them, but something stopped him. Suddenly he found himself paralyzed. And then it happened again. Tina, just like everybody else in the park, disappeared. Then everything changed.**

**Goten was no longer in the amusement park. Now he was in Tina's bedroom. And he saw two people yet again. Tina was there again, but the man with her was different. This time it was Harry, her father. Goten tried to step forward, but he couldn't move an inch. All he could do was watch. Watch as he raped her and beat her and abused her. He was on top of her, and she was fighting him off as best she could. But it wasn't enough. Goten tried desperately to get to her, but he was totally motionless.**

**"Tina, I'm coming!" yelled Goten. **

**Then it all stopped. Harry rose from the bed and turned to Goten. His eyes were blood red and glowing. There was a sinister smile on his face. He walked up to Goten and grabbed him by the neck.**

**"You're not doing anything, kid. You _can't_ do anything. Don't you understand? You're helpless. So is Tina. For all that power you have, you still can't protect the person you love, can you? It really is pitiful," said Harry.**

**"You bastard! I'll kill you!" yelled Goten.**

**"You could do that. But you wouldn't really be doing Tina a favor, would you? So you kill me, and then everybody will look at Tina and say, 'There goes Tina, the girl who nobody wants because her father raped her'. And she'll hate you for it. Just accept it, kid. Accept that Tina is nothing more than worthless pussy that could get passed around like a bottle of liquor."**

**"Shut up! How dare you treat your daughter like that? Any man would be proud to have a child like that!"**

**"Oh believe me, I'm proud. That is, I'm proud of that pussy she's got. Besides from that, she's like dirt beneath my fingernails. And do you know what you do with dirt? You wash it away. You get rid of it. You destroy it."**

**Harry walked back to the bed where Tina lay. Harry grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up from the bed. Her scream pierced Goten's ears. He tried even harder to move, but he still couldn't move at all. Harry grabbed her by her neck and moved closer to Goten until he and Tina were face to face. They were just mere inches away from each other.**

**"Take one last look at her, Goten. Remember that there was no way you could have saved her. You're totally helpless," said Harry.**

**"Stop this! Let her go!" yelled Goten.**

**"Helpless..."**

*************

Goten could feel somebody shaking him hard. He opened his eyes and saw Tina. Tina was saying something to him, but he couldn't really hear her. All he could think about was what had just happened. Tina held his chin in her hands and looked into his eyes.

"Goten, are you alright?" asked Tina.

"What...what happened?" asked Goten.

"You were just having a nightmare, Goten. Are you okay?"

"What? A nightmare?" Goten shook his head and realized that it was just a dream. "Oh man...what time is it?"

"About seven o' clock." Tina could tell that Goten was upset. "Hey, you were just dreaming. You'll be fine."

Goten leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He was still shaken up from the dream. What did it mean? He was shaking hard. He looked up at Tina. She was there for him. She woke him up. She helped him. Goten held Tina close and put his head on her shoulder. Tina rubbed Goten's back and rocked back and forth.

"Tina, please...tell me I'm a good man," said Goten.

"You know you are, Goten. Why would you think any differently?" asked Tina.

"I just...I don't know. I don't know..."

Tina cupped Goten's chin in her hands again and led his face to hers so that they were eye to eye. She kissed him softly on the lips and looked into his eyes.

"Goten, you did the right thing," said Tina.

"I did?"

"Yes, Goten. You did the right thing."

"Thank you Tina. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Goten, I don't know what it is you were dreaming about. But believe me, it doesn't matter. Because what we have, it's real. This is real. We are real."

"Forever. You and I...this is real."

Tina and Goten embraced and held onto each other for the next hour. Goten was happier now. And he now knew the answer to what was bothering him. He did what he had to do. He did what any decent person would do. Goten was certain now.

"I did the right thing."

END OF CHAPTER 8

  
  



	9. Adversity

It was about noon, and Goten still felt restless. That nightmare he had was still lingering in his mind. But he would get over it. All he had to do was concentrate. And push all of the negative thoughts out of his mind. He stood perfectly still in his back yard in a side straddle stance with his father beside him and Tina and Bianca a few yards away.

"You ready, Goten?" asked Goku.

Goten nodded.

"Go," said Goku.

Goten tensed the muscles in his biceps and held his elbows out to the sides. They were perfectly symmetrical with each other, and on line with his ribcage. He charged some ki and channeled it into his arms, then he looked into the sky and cupped his hands at his side. Goku stood by and watched.

"Ka...Me...Ha...Me..." chanted Goten.

"Channel your energy well, Goten. Don't make it too powerful," said Goku.

Goten nodded and finished charging his ki into his hands. He rose his hands into the air and fired.

"Haaa!!"

The blast flew high into the air and kept going until it was out of sight. Goten finished firing and fell to his knees. Goku patted him on the back. Then Tina and Bianca patted him on the back. Goten was exhausted. He had been training for hours.

"I think that's enough for today. You haven't trained this hard in a while, Goten. You deserve a good rest," said Goku. He walked back into the house, leaving Goten, Tina, and Bianca.

"You have to teach me how to do that," said Tina.

"Sure. Just give me a couple days of sleep," replied Goten.

"There really are a lot of things I don't know about you."

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm Superman?"

"Yeah, actually I would," Tina said with a smirk. Suddenly she felt a breeze, than a stronger gust of wind. There was a shadow cast on her from above, then a man in an awkward looking costume came down beside her. It was the Great Saiyaman.

_Oh crap! I knew I should have looked before I landed! Better run into the house before she finds out who I am!_ thought Gohan.

The Great Saiyaman ran into the house at a blinding speed. Tina and Bianca looked at him in awe. Goten chuckled and stood up.

"Was that...?" asked Tina.

"Yeah. We're a family of superheroes, I guess," said Goten.

"Lunch time, everybody!" yelled Chi Chi from inside.

"You ready to come in, Goten?" asked Tina.

"Ugh...I don't think I can move..." complained Goten.

"I think I smell chicken."

"Let's move!"

Goten, Tina, and Bianca went into the house and after a few minutes ate lunch along with Goku, Chi Chi, and Gohan (who repeatedly denied being the Great Saiyaman). Everybody basically sat by, ate, and talked. Tina was really enjoying herself particularly. There wasn't any yelling, fighting, cursing, or violence. It really did seem like a dream, though. She didn't know what was weirder: Flying with Goten, watching him shoot some kind of light from his hands, or finding out that his big brother was the Great Saiyaman. Still, it was very pleasant for her. Everybody continued eating, and suddenly they heard the doorbell. Chi Chi rose from the table to answer the door. Everyone could hear her faintly from the doorway speaking with someone else. 

"Goku, can you come hear, please?" asked Chi Chi.

"Sure, honey," said Goku as he rose from the table.

Now they could hear Goku and Chi Chi speaking with a voice they didn't recognize. Tina glanced by the door and realized that the person they were speaking with was a policeman. Her heart skipped a beat. She rose from the table and walked over the Goten.

"It's a police officer at the door," said Tina.

"A police officer? You don't think..." 

"I don't know. What should we do?"

"I'm gonna see what's going on."

"I'll come with you."

Goten, Tina, and Bianca walked up to the front door behind Goku, Chi Chi, and Gohan, who came to the door shortly before they did. The officer looked over Goku's shoulder and saw Tina.

"Are you Tina Bryant?" asked the officer.

"Yes, I am," answered Tina.

"Are you alright? Your father has been looking for you since last night."

"How did he know where you are?" Goten whispered to Tina.

"I have your address written in my diary. He may have looked in there," Tina whispered back.

A few yards away, the policeman's car was parked. Another officer came out and opened the back door. Harry rose from the back and put on a five star performance, pretending as though he was actually concerned for Tina's wellbeing. He walked up to the front door and tried to get through to Tina, but he found it impossible to get past Goku. Goku stood firmly in the doorway and crossed his arms.

"I think we all may need a little talk. That means you, us, and the officers here," said Goku.

"What's to talk about? You kidnaped my children, and I want them back!" said Harry.

"Kidnaped? That's a load of bull!" said Goten.

"Listen, I just want my kids. Now let me take them home, and I won't press any charges," said Harry.

"You must be crazy! Why don't you tell the officers how..." started Goten.

"Goten, wait," whispered Tina.

"Wait for what? We finally have a chance to get this scumbag," whispered Goten.

"It wouldn't do any good. He has a lot of friends in high places, including cops and lawyers. This isn't the first time the police have been involved. They would just ignore me like they did every other time I asked them for help."

"But Tina..."

"Goten, I have to handle this on my own. I just have to face this head on."

"I can't just let this happen! I have to do something."

"I'm sorry, Goten, but you can't. Just let me handle it, okay?"

Goten couldn't say anything back. He had no idea what to say.

"Alright, let's go," said Tina to the officer.

"Tina, don't hesitate to contact us if you need anything," said Chi Chi.

"Anything at all," said Goku.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. I won't press any charges, but if any of you come by my house or call, then believe me, I will press charges," said Harry.

Harry put his arms around Tina and Bianca's shoulders and started to walk toward the car with the police. Harry paused, turned back, and smirked at Goten.

"See you around, kid," said Harry.

Goten tried to run forward and attack Harry, but Goku and Gohan grabbed him and held him back. Harry continued walking to the car. Goten calmed down for a second and watched them all enter the car. Tina nodded to him assuringly before getting in. Goten could only watch in silence as the car drove away. Everything he had tried to do until now had just been ruined. Tina was going back home, back to her father, who the police backed up. But Goten didn't care. He broke away from Goku and Gohan and ran upstairs. Gohan ran up after him and followed him to his bedroom. Goten was just about to fly out of the window when Gohan stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Gohan.

"I'm going to stop them," said Goten.

"Goten, you can't. You just have to stay here."

"And do what? Let the cops do their job? I got news for you Gohan. The cops aren't doing their damn jobs!"

"Come on, we can depend on the police. Tina will set them straight."

"They don't care! She's tried going to the cops before and it didn't work! And it won't work now! Those cops are crooked!"

"Not all cops are crooked, Goten."

"But they are! Don't you get it? It'll be her word against his, and you know who the cops will believe! I have to do something while I can!"

"Listen, Goten, sometimes you just have to trust the system."

"Screw the system! The system doesn't work!"

"I don't think you believe that."

"You're living proof! If the system worked, the world wouldn't _need_ a Great Saiyaman, would it? Tina's just going to end up in the same situation that she was in before. Are you saying I'm supposed to sit by and let that happen?"

"Goten, there is no easy answer. Look, I'm going to call Bulma, alright? If anyone would know what to do, she would."

"You're going to call a scientist? What we need to do is get Piccolo and Tien and Yamcha and Krillin and Trunks. What we need to do is kill that scumbag."

"Just promise me that you won't do anything drastic, okay? Just let me try to figure this out."

"...Fine. But the moment I find out Tina is in any kind of danger, I'm stepping in, you understand?"

"That's fair enough."

Gohan walked out of the room. Goten was left all alone. He sat by his window for hours, staring, waiting. Now he felt totally powerless. He should have seen it coming, but he didn't. He always felt that his strength could help him overcome any challenge, but it wasn't helping this time. This time, he had no idea what to do. It was just like his dream. He could face the most powerful beings that ever existed, but he couldn't beat one normal man. Now he was frustrated. And angry. And powerless. And sad. And, above all, he was helpless.

  
  


END OF CHAPTER 9


	10. Tragedy

Two hours had passed, and he still sat by his window. Still staring. Still silent. There hadn't been a sound or movement in that room the entire time. In fact, the whole house was relatively quiet. There was an odd aura in the house.

Goku and Chi Chi were in the kitchen. Chi Chi was drinking coffee and Goku was staring at the wall. They were both thinking the same thing, but neither of them could say anything. They sat in silence and tried their hardest to think of some kind of solution to their problem.

Gohan was sitting on the roof of the house. He was thinking, too. Thinking of his younger brother, and of his predicament. He had just gotten off of the phone with Bulma, the only person he could think of going to for advice. After he explained the situation to her, she decided to come over to cheer Goten up. She and Trunks would be there shortly. Gohan waited and thought.

The clouds had gotten so much darker. They were a light gray, but they were getting darker by the minute. Goten stared at them through the window, although he wasn't really thinking about them. All he could think of was Tina. Although he didn't want to admit it, Gohan had a point. The last time Goten tried to take the law into his own hands, the police were involved anyway. Maybe it was for the best to trust in the system, just this once. But he was still worried. Nobody could blame him for the way he felt, though. Everybody in the house, Goku, Gohan, and Chi Chi, all wanted to comfort him. But none of them knew how.

********

"Thanks again, officer," said Harry as the policeman walked away from the house and to his car. He flashed a neat smile, but then the smile disappeared as soon as he closed the door. He turned around and stomped upstairs, towards Tina's room. Tina and Bianca were sitting on Tina's bed, waiting for Harry to come up. Tina expected him to come. When he got there, she smiled and patted her sister on the back.

"Why don't you go to your room, Bianca?" said Tina.

"You don't want me to stay?" asked Bianca.

"It's not that. I just have to take care of something. Go on. I'll come talk to you before you go to bed, okay?"

"Okay, Tina."

Bianca walked past her father and down the hall to her bedroom. Harry closed the door behind him and locked it. Tina stood up and looked her father in the eye. He looked angry. Angrier than she had ever seen him before. But she didn't care. And she wasn't afraid. He rose his hand and tried to slap her, but she rose her fist and blocked it. Harry was stunned. But that was nothing. What stunned him even more was what Tina did next: She slapped him. The angry look on his face turned to shock, and then anger again. He grabbed Tina by the throat, turned around, and slammed her back first into her door.

"You must be out of your damn mind! What, did you forget who I am?" said Harry.

"I don't give a damn who you are," replied Tina.

Bianca could hear her father cursing from down the hall. She ran down to Tina's room and could hear something hitting the door. She realized it was repeated strikes to Tina against the door. She tried to open the door, having no idea her father locked it from the inside. She looked around for something to use, but their was nothing. Then she thought of something. Tina made it a point for both of them to memorize Goten's phone number, just in case they would really need to call him. She ran to her father's room and dialed Goten's number.

*********

The silence in the house was broken by the sound of a phone ringing. Goten picked up immediately, thinking it was Tina. But it was Bianca instead. She was talking too fast for Goten to understand, and she was breathing heavily.

"Bianca, you have to slow down. What's wrong?" asked Goten.

"My dad just went in Tina's room and closed the door, and then I heard yelling and now something keeps hitting the door from inside. I think he's hurting her, Goten," said Bianca.

"Damn it! I...Bianca, listen to me. I want you to leave the house right now," said Goten.

"Leave the house? Why?"

"I want you to go to your neighbor's house and stay there. Don't come out for anything, you understand?"

"But what about Tina?"

"I'll take care of that. You just get out of there right now, okay? I'll be there real soon."

"Alright, I will. You're gonna get Tina away from my dad, right?"

"Yes, I promise you that."

Goten hung up the phone. He didn't care about the system right now. The system wasn't going to help. He had to do it himself. He increased his ki until he was a Super Saiyan, then he charged his ki until he was at full power. He opened the window and flew toward Tina's house as fast as he could. Gohan saw him from the roof and stood up.

_Where is he going? And why is he powered up? I better follow him,_ thought Gohan.

Downstairs, Goku could fell Goten's ki. He stood up and looked out of the window. Chi Chi looked out of the window with him.

"Goku, what's wrong? What are we looking for?" asked Chi Chi.

"I just felt Goten's ki. It just boosted all of a sudden," said Goku.

"Oh no. Do you think he's going to Tina's house?" 

"Most likely. But I feel Gohan's ki too. Gohan seems to be following him."

"Well, I guess Gohan can help if something happens."

"Maybe. But I'm going to keep track of their ki. If it gets too hectic, I'll have to step in."

*********

Goten arrived at Tina's house in record time. He stared down at the house from above and hesitated. Then he flew down and crashed through the roof. He found himself in the hallway. Tina's room was just down the hall. He walked through the dust and debris that came from the roof and toward the door. The door was still locked, but Goten broke the knob easily. Slowly he opened the door, and he could see Harry, leaning against the far wall and sweating. Harry looked terrified. Goten walked into the room and looked down. There, on the bed, lay Tina. She was covered with bruises, cuts, and blood. Goten walked forward and picked Tina up. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't seem to be breathing. Goten shook her a little, but she didn't respond. Goten started to shake her harder. Still nothing happened. He was truly scared now.

"Tina? Tina, it's me, Goten. I'm taking you back to my house, okay? Wake up, okay? Please, wake up," said Goten. Tina still said nothing back. "Come on, Tina. I'm here. Please, get up. Don't do this to me, Tina."

Goten put his ear against Tina's chest, but he didn't hear anything. He held her left wrist and searched for her pulse, but their wasn't one. He was running out of ideas. He ran the ki in his body through hers, and it didn't do anything. Goten could feel his heart getting heavier. He held her body close to his, and he finally realized the truth. There was nothing he could do. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He closed his eyes tight and held Tina's body in his arms.

"Tina, I'm so sorry...I couldn't help...You depended on me and I let you down..." said Goten.

"It's your fault, kid. If you hadn't interfered, she would still be alive. You only have yourself to blame," said Harry.

Goten opened his eyes and looked up at Harry. Harry slowly inched toward the door. Whatever had possessed him to say that had just left him, and now all he could think about was saving his own life. Goten lay Tina back on the bed, and then his head hung low. Sparks of ki flew around his body. He inched toward Harry. Harry darted for the door, but Goten's ki alone slammed it shut. 

Goten's hair began to wave. The sparks of energy around him grew larger. Everything in the room blew around as if caught in a tornado. There was a bright yellow flame surrounding Goten's body, and then it engulfed him. Harry stared at him in horror. There was now nothing but a flame. Harry couldn't see Goten's body anymore. The flame expanded a little, then more sparks rose from it. Above the roar of the flame, Harry could hear Goten repeatedly saying Tina's name. Then he heard a loud scream. Goten screamed at the top of his lungs, and then the flame transformed into a bright flash of light. The whole room was bright white, and above the roar of it all was Goten screaming. The light lasted for about ten seconds, and then it slowly faded away. When the light was finally gone, the room was in shambles. Harry's vision slowly came into focus, and then he could see one thing in the middle of the room. Goten was standing right in front of him, surrounded by a yellow aura. There was something different about him, though. His hair line went farther back, and there was one strand of hair that stood out. 

"You're right you know," said Goten. "It is my fault that Tina's dead. It's my fault, because I let you live."

Harry tried to open the door, but Goten's ki sealed it shut. Goten knew what he was doing. He had a new mastery of his ki, and he was going to use it well. Goten floated out of the window, shut it, and then sealed it with his ki. Harry ran through the hole in the wall that Goten made the day before, and when he tried to open the door in his bedroom, he found it sealed shut as well. He was trapped in the house. And Goten was in control. Goten flew above the house and looked down at it. He was ready to finish it. For Tina, and for himself. He cupped his hands and brought them to his side.

"Ka...Me...Ha...Me..." Goten chanted. It would be over soon.

*********

Gohan was flying slower than Goten, because he wasn't flying as a Super Saiyan like his brother was. He could see a bright yellow light in the horizon and flew faster. The light became a shape as he got closer to it. Then he recognized it. Gohan stopped in front of the shape and stared in disbelief. 

_Goten...he's reached Super Saiyan Two! But how...?_ wondered Gohan.

"Goten, what are you doing?" asked Gohan.

Goten said nothing back.

"What, is that the Kame Hame Ha? I hardly think you'll need that for a normal guy," said Gohan.

Goten said nothing back.

"We talked about this, remember? You told me you wouldn't do anything drastic."

Goten said nothing back.

"Goten, are you listening? Stop this right now! You have no reason to..."

"He killed her..." said Goten.

"What?"

"Tina's dead. Because I failed to protect her. This is what I have to do."

"Goten, I'm so sorry. Look, let's talk about this, just you and me."

"There's nothing you can say to help me. I have to kill that asshole."

"Goten, listen to reason. Do you think Tina wants you to cause more death?"

"Tina wanted me to help her, and I didn't. This is my only option."

"If you go through with this, not only will you kill that asshole down there, you'll destroy the entire planet. Your power is too high. Everyone in the world will die."

"Then so be it..."

"Damn it, Goten, if you don't stop, then I'll stop you myself!"

"You can't, Gohan. Don't make me kill you too."

"Do I have to beat some sense into you? Then so be it!"

Gohan dashed forward with a jab. His fist struck Goten's face and snapped his head back. Goten's head slowly lowered. His lip was bleeding, but beside from that, there was no real damage done. Goten's face was hard, emotionless. He didn't want to fight Gohan, but he would if he needed to. 

"I'm sorry, Gohan. But you can't get in my way," said Goten.

"Goten, one way or another, I will stop you," said Gohan.

Gohan powered up, and soon he was a Super Saiyan. His power rose even higher, and then he was Super Saiyan Two. Now the brothers were both at their maximum power. Tina was dead, and now nothing mattered to Goten but revenge. Gohan was determined to stop his brother, but at what cost? Gohan had to convince Goten to listen to reason, but that wasn't going to happen just yet. To Goten, the time for words was over. Now was the time for action. The world hangs in the balance...

  
  


END OF CHAPTER TEN


	11. Goten VS. Gohan

It could be said that every living person's life will be changed at least once by a single event. A man who's down on his luck could win the lottery. An amateur boxer could knock out a champion and become a sensation. A criminal could find God and turn his life around. Any of these things could happen.

It could also be said that seventy percent of those events which change lives are of the tragic variety. A rich man could lose everything he owns. A championship boxer could lose to a nobody and become a nobody himself. A man could lose his faith and fall from grace. And, most likely, the sole reason for one's being could be lost. When this happens, a person could lose his or her will to live. Goten knew this too well. There was nothing more to say. Now he would fight his brother, because his life had been changed forever.

Goten made the first move. A swift roundhouse aimed at the jaw. Gohan could see it coming, though. He blocked the kick, and then countered with a jab that was blocked by Goten. Goten flew higher into the air and waited for Gohan to come after him. Gohan flew toward him and extended his fist. The punch was too slow. Goten caught Gohan's arm and smashed the back of his fist into the bridge of Gohan's nose. As Gohan fell, he grabbed Goten's foot, pulled him down, and rammed his knee into his younger brother's stomach. Goten countered with an elbow to the side of the head, which was then countered with a cross to the cheek from Gohan. The brothers backed away and stared into each other's eyes.

Once again, Goten made the first move. He rose his hands into the air, gathered energy into them, and then fired two ki blasts at Gohan. Gohan flew back, and the blasts chased him. When they flew toward him on each side, he flew upwards, causing the blasts to collide and explode. Goten fired several more blasts up at Gohan, but Gohan was able to dodge them all. He came down, pulled his arm back, and then slammed his elbow into Goten's face. Goten let himself spin around with the force of the blow, then he extended his leg and snapped his foot back in a hook kick. The kick made Gohan's head snap to the side. Goten rose his arms into the air, locked his fingers together, and brought both fists down on Gohan's back. Gohan found himself falling toward the ground, and then he could feel Goten's feet driving into his back. Gohan fell even faster and crashed into the street. Every house on the block shook and rumbled. Goten floated down to the ground and turned toward Tina's house.

Slowly, Goten walked toward the door. He reached for the knob, but then he stopped. He couldn't breathe. Gohan hooked his arms around Goten's head and neck and held him in a sleeper hold. Goten was slowly blacking out. He had to get free. The energy in his body built up, and then it exploded from his body. The explosion propelled Gohan across the street. Gohan flew and crashed into a car. The impact toppled the car over. Gohan found himself pinned under the car. He was just about to free himself, but then he saw Goten, aiming at the car with one finger. A small ki blast flew from Goten's finger and into the car. Gohan realized what he did. He aimed for the engine. There was no time for Gohan to get up. The blast struck the engine and a split second later, the car exploded with Gohan under it. The explosion was loud and knocked out almost every window on the block. Goten watched the flames and smoke rise. He felt sorry for doing it, but it just had to come to it.

Goten continued walking toward the house. Suddenly, he was hit in the back by a ki blast. He turned back to the car, but nobody was there. He could vaguely see something out of the corner of his eye. Gohan flew and tackled him from the side. He carried Goten down the block and tried to hold him still. Goten rocked his head with repeated hook punches. Gohan countered with the same attack. They were both flying, low to the ground, and trading punches. Gohan landed a punch that seemed to stun Goten, so he followed up. He hit Goten with a quick flurry, mixing up jabs, crosses, and hooks. He pulled his fist back and gathered his ki into it, then he brought it forward. But his punch hit nothing. Goten was gone. Gohan could sense Goten's ki a second later. Goten was able to teleport behind him. Goten punched Gohan hard in the kidneys. He could see the blood spewing from Gohan's mouth, even at the speed they were moving at, although Gohan was staring to slow down. Goten grabbed Gohan by the ankle, turned, and smashed him into the side of a house. Gohan's body knocked over the wall of the house and startled the people inside. The family of people all ran to the far wall and stared at Gohan. Gohan's hair faded slowly, and then it was black again. Goten floated over him with his arm extended. His ki gathered into it and formed into a ball of yellow energy. Gohan moaned and looked up at Goten. He noticed something odd, yet recognizable. Gohan's eyes focused, and then he saw somebody floating behind Goten. He smiled and lay his head back. Apparently Goten hadn't felt his ki, but he would now. A ki blast struck Goten in the back, and this time, it actually knocked him down. He got up and turned to the person who hit him. A look of surprise shown on his face. The attacker floated down and landed in front of him. 

"That's enough, Goten," said Goku.

"Go away. I won't let you stop me," said Goten.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong? I can help you."

"He killed her. He killed her and he didn't even care. I have to kill him. And there's nothing you can do or say to stop me."

"Goten, I'm sorry. Let's handle this together, okay?"

"Gohan tried that already, and look what good it did him."

"Look, I know you're upset. You have every right to be. But you will listen to me, understand? Don't go doing something you'll regret..."

"I have nothing more to regret. Not after what happened today. If I have to destroy this whole planet, I will! And there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

Goten's ki flared and grew into a huge orange flame. The flame looked similar to a phoenix. His muscles bulged and his hair waved around. The winds kicked up and blew around Goten. Goku could feel his son's ki rising tremendously, until it reached it's climax and exploded from Goten's body in a burst of yellow, white, and orange light. When the light faded, Goten was standing in a ring of ki, even more powerful than he was five minutes ago. In fact, if you had a scouter and read his power level, it would say that he was millions of levels more powerful than when he fought Gohan. He glared at Goku with a look that served as a warning.

"Stay away from me. There is nothing you can do now," said Goten.

"You're wrong, Goten. Seriously wrong," said Goku.

In a split second, Goku was a Super Saiyan. His power rose even faster than Goten's did, and in a second he was at Super Saiyan level two. He was only at about half power, and already he was dramatically more powerful than Goten was. But he wasn't done. He increased his power even more, and finally he was Super Saiyan Three. Goten was shocked at how much more powerful Goku was. Goku finally powered down and turned back to normal. Goten knew what he was up against now.

"Goten, I'm not going to fight you. But you and I need to talk," said Goku.

"There's nothing to talk about. Just leave me alone." Goten stopped and thought for a second. "I know what I can do. There is one more option."

Goten flew away from his father and far away until he was out of sight. Gohan was just recovering, and stood up next to his father. He started to fly after Goten, but Goku put his hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Shouldn't we follow him?" asked Gohan.

"No, let him go. I know what he's doing. He's after something," said Goku.

"After something? What is it?"

"The Dragon Balls."

  
  


END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN

  
  



	12. Tina's Last Goodbye, Goten's Resolution

He had learned to find things by sensing their ki a long time ago. There was no need for the Dragon Radar. Goten could find the Dragon Balls on his own. And so he was searching for them now. He had flown north from where he fought Gohan, and now he found himself on a snowy island. The temperature was around thirty degrees, which was odd for Goten since it was summer time where he lived. But he didn't care. Even with his clothes torn, he still searched through this arctic island. He had a mission. He owed it to Tina.

There were several snowy hills around Goten. His ki alone melted the snow, and soon he could see a Dragon Ball under a hill. He picked it up and looked at it. Then he looked into the sky.

"I'm trying, Tina. Please forgive me. You'll be home soon enough," said Goten.

And so Goten looked to the west and flew there to find the second Dragon Ball.

********

"Ow! Mom, that iodine stings!" Gohan complained.

"Just sit still, Gohan. I'll fix you up in no time," said Chi Chi.

"How can you be so calm? Goten's out there somewhere, and we're sitting here at home."

"Goten needs time to himself right now. Even I wouldn't know what to say to him right now."

Gohan and Chi Chi were in their kitchen, while Goku, Bulma, Trunks, and Bra were all sitting in the living room. Vegeta was leaning against the wall, staring out of the window.

"I just can't believe this has happened," said Bulma.

"Goku, are you sure you want to let Goten go out alone?" asked Bra.

"I feel like that's the best decision to make right now. I don't think Goten needs any more pressure right now," said Goku.

"It's still hard to believe that Tina's gone. I just saw her a few days ago, and now..." Trunks wiped a tear from his eye and leaned his head back.

"It's sickening," said Vegeta.

Everyone was shocked to hear Vegeta speak. They all looked up at him, but he continued to look out of the window.

"What is, Vegeta?" asked Bulma.

"The fact that any man could abuse his child and then claim he loves that child. Even I know the difference between tough love and abuse. Kakarot's son has every right to hate that man. If he wants to find the Dragon Balls, it would be wise to let him do so alone."

"Wow. I'm surprised to hear you say that, Vegeta," said Goku.

"Don't quote me on it. You'll probably never hear it again," said Vegeta.

"Goku, isn't there anything we can do?" asked Trunks.

"I'm not sure, Trunks. Not unless...unless..." Goku stopped to think.

"Unless what?"

"I have to see someone. I'll be back soon." And with that, Goku was gone.

*******

Goten had found three Dragon Balls so far, and he was now on his way to find another one. He was flying in a field, looking down at everything below him. The Dragon Ball was sitting inside of a bush. Goten swooped down, grabbed it, and flew back up. Then he turned to his right and flew in that direction for the fifth Dragon Ball.

*******

Goku looked around at the familiar scene of red skies and yellow roads. Down the road, there was a huge temple. Goku walked down the road and into the temple, and then he found himself in front of an incredibly large desk. A few seconds later, a huge man with horns and a purple suit sat behind the desk. The man wiped his glasses and peered at Goku.

"Goku, is that you?" asked King Yamma.

"Yup, it's me. What's new, King Yamma?" said Goku.

"Why, I haven't seen you since you participated in the Kai Tournament. What brings you here? I don't see a halo on your head."

"Oh, I'm not dead. I'm actually here to ask a favor of you."

"Oh? A favor, eh?"

"Yeah. You see, there's been some trouble on Earth."

"Is it another one of those lunatics trying to blow it up again? I swear, if it is..."

"No, it's not that. This is personal. I was actually wondering if I could speak with someone who may have come by here lately."

"Well, I guess it's okay. I don't see a problem with that."

"Great! Oh, and I was wondering if I could bring somebody here."

"Bring someone here? Well..."

*******

Goten finally found the seventh and final Dragon Ball. It was in a huge city, filled with people. Goten found it under a car in a busy parking garage. But now that he had them all, he was ready to summon Shenlong. He flew away from the city and stopped at a valley. Then he dropped all of the Dragon Balls to the ground. Just as they hit the ground, the wind started to kick up. Before Goten could summon the dragon, a bright light appeared in front of him. He sensed someone's ki in the light and stepped back. The light blinded him, so all he could do was charge ki in his fist and wait. The light started to dim, and then he brought his fist forward. But when the light disappeared, he stopped. His fist trembled, his jaw hung open, and his eyes were as wide as they could get. He saw a girl, with chocolate brown skin, long black hair, and a long white dress floating in front of him.

"Goten, we need to talk," the girl said to him.

"Tina? No, this is some kind of trick...It's not Tina...Get away from me!" yelled Goten.

"It's me, Goten. You know it is," said Tina.

"How? Tina, how could you..."

"This is real. You know it is. I can understand if it's hard to accept."

"Tina, I...I don't..."

Goten just couldn't find the words. Suddenly, all the ki in his body dropped, and his hair turned black again. Goten threw his arms around Tina and held her close. She smiled and stroked his hair. Goten could feel tears running down his cheek, but he didn't care.

"I'm so sorry. I should have been there..." said Goten.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about."

"But I let you die. It's my fault. You could still be alive if it weren't for me. You could be happy..."

"You mean you're blaming yourself? You think this is your fault? What would give you that idea?"

"I swore to be there for you. But I wasn't. It is my fault."

"Goten, I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"You'll see."

Another light appeared. This one lasted less time than the first one did. When it disappeared, Goten and Tina found themselves in a place with red skies and yellow roads. They were in a huge garden, filled with plants that Goten couldn't recognize. There was a spring not too far away, and tall, full trees that people were resting under.

"Goten, this is Heaven. This is what you brought me," said Tina.

"What do you mean?" asked Goten.

"This is what you gave me, even back on Earth. You gave me Heaven. Nobody ever cared for me like you did, and I never cared for anyone like I cared for you. And I still care for you. You're not just the man I love, Goten. You're my best friend. I could never thank you enough for what you've given me."

"But, I failed. I didn't do a thing right."

"Goten, you did everything right. And now it's time to move on."

"What do you mean?"

"You have to let me go, Goten. I want you to live your life. I want you to be happy."

"But what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm happy here. You can see that Heaven is a beautiful place. I know you were trying to bring me back, but you don't have to. I appreciate it, but to bring me back would be to put on burden on your own life. You don't deserve that, Goten. It's not fair to you."

"Tina, I don't want to lose you."

"You haven't lost me, Goten. And you never will. Someday you and I will be together again."

"I don't know if I can wait..."

"You can. It may not seem like it now, but you can. Our love will always exist, and with it will come patience. Until that time comes, you have to enjoy life."

"I...I think I understand. I mean, the most fun times in my life, I spent with you. So, if I wait, then I can still enjoy life, and then we'll enjoy life together when the time comes."

"That's right, Goten. You don't have to worry. Soon enough, we'll be together again."

"Before I wait, I'll need one last moment, to cherish..."

"To remember..."

"To share..."

"To love..."

And so they shared one last kiss. One last passionate, emotional, joyful kiss. Goten's heart hurt with each passing second, but the kiss held strong. Memories flashed in the minds of both Goten and Tina, and each memory brought more pain and yet more passion. And when the kiss finally broke, one last hug. Tears flowed from the eyes of Goten and Tina, and when the embrace finally broke, they wiped the tears from each other's eyes and stepped back. Goten felt Goku's hand on his shoulder. He looked back at his father, then back at Tina. Goku and Goten began to fade away, the two of them waving to Tina. She waved at the two fading Saiyans who were on their way back to Earth. And when they were finally gone, she smiled, knowing that she would see Goten again.

Goten found himself standing amidst the Dragon Balls again, right back on Earth. Goku was standing behind him. Neither of them said anything. Neither of them knew just what to say. Goku stared at the sky that was slowly darkening. Night was just falling upon them. Goten stared at the Dragon Balls at his feet. Then he rose his head and turned to his father.

"Dad..." 

"Yes, Goten?"

"I think I've decided on my wish."

TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT CHAPTER


	13. The Song Plays On...

"Hey, Bianca, are you ready yet? We have to go!" said Goten.

"I'm almost ready!" replied Bianca.

Goten had just finished tying his shoes. In the mirror he saw himself, dressed in black pants, a white shirt, black shoes, and a black tie. He put his jacket on, slid his hand over his hair, and then checked himself once more to make sure he looked perfect. Then he put on a pair of black sunglasses and walked down the hall to the guest room. Bianca came out a few seconds later, wearing a black dress and black shoes.

"Do I look alright?" asked Bianca.

"You look fine. Ready?" said Goten.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Together Goten and Bianca walked outside, where Goku, Chi Chi, and Gohan were waiting by the car. Everybody got in, and the car was silent during the whole drive. Goten stared out of the window the whole time.

It only took about five minutes to get to the church. Everybody rose from the car and strode slowly into the church. Goten recognized a few friends from school as he walked down the aisle. He said his hellos, but he wasn't really thinking about them. He just continued to walk down the aisle, and once he got there, he saw the casket. Goten was surprised himself, since he though the sight of the casket would shake him. But his composure wasn't shaken one bit. 

In the front row of the church, Goten saw Tina's only close relatives: An aunt, an uncle, a couple of cousins, and a grandmother. He introduced himself to them and sat beside the grandmother. Normally, he wouldn't be aloud to sit in the front row, but because Tina didn't have much close family, he would sit there, since he was closer to her than most people.

An usher handed programs to everybody in attendance. There would be the choir, then the pastor would speak, then the cousins would sing, and then one more thing. One more special thing that Goten was ready for. He removed his sunglasses and sat back.

The choir performed two songs, one the church had created themselves, and "The Reason Why I Sing" by Kirk Franklin and the Family. Then the pastor spoke for about half an hour. Then Tina's cousins performed about four songs. When all of this was done, an usher came to get Goten. It was time for Goten to go up to the podium. He cleared his throat and looked out at the crowd.

"I want to thank you all for coming. This is a great honor to be able to speak to all of you. I was told I would have to write a speech before coming, and I did. But I threw it out. I didn't feel that it was straight from the heart. Matters of the heart aren't predetermined. They're not written beforehand, they're not scripted, they're not something you plan ahead for. Matters of the heart are spur of the moment, unexpected, and straight from the heart. I feel as though I owe it to Tina to say what I really feel. There is nothing I can say to change the past. There is nothing I can do to console anybody, because I'm not completely comfortable myself. All I can say is that I've learned. I've learned what it means to lose what you cherish most. I've learned what it means to be a man. And I've learned what it means to love. I guess what I'm saying is that Tina taught us all a lot of things. If you've noticed, I haven't shed any tears. That's because I have nothing to cry about. I'm not sad, nor am I happy. But I understand. Tina is not gone, because we still love her. Because _I_ still love her. That's the greatest lesson to learn. And that is straight from the heart."

Goten couldn't think of anything more to say, because he said everything that came to mind. He really didn't know what to do next. There was an awkward silence in the room. Then the silence was broken by clapping. The clapping came from the back of the church. Goten looked back, and at the back of the church, it was Tina's mother, Joan. She clapped and cried at once as she walked slowly up the aisle toward the podium. When she reached the podium, she threw her arms around Goten and gave him a tight, firm hug. Goten smiled and returned the hug. Then everybody in the church stood and clapped their hands. Of everybody in the church, Goku was the most proud. He believed that his son had truly grown up.

Finally, there was the final viewing. Goten stood over the open casket, staring down at Tina. All he could do was put his fingers to his lips and blow Tina a kiss. 

"I'll see you soon," Goten whispered.

After that, Goku, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks all served as pallbearers. They all carried the casket to the hearse and rode to the cemetery. A few people came to the cemetery to watch the burial, and then the attendees slowly seemed to fade away. A few hours passed, and finally the only people left were the Son and Briefs families. Goten stood over Tina's grave with Trunks standing next to him.

"You okay?" asked Trunks.

"Yeah," replied Goten.

"Look, I'm about to go home. Call me right away if you need anything, alright?"

"Okay. Thank you."

Trunks patted his friend on the shoulder, looked once more at Tina's tombstone, and then walked back to his parents' car. Goten was now standing alone in the graveyard.

"Well, I summoned the dragon and made my wish. We knew that the courts would never allow my parents custody of Bianca, so we wished for the dragon to create some kind of technicality. My mom and dad thought it was a good idea. So we're going to raise her ourselves. As for your dad, we made sure he was brought to justice. Our second wish made sure that he wouldn't get off on any technicalities, no matter how many cop friends he had. He's going to get what's coming to him. So Bianca will be fine, and I guess I will be too, eventually. It's going to take some time, but I'll work through it. Just knowing that I'll see you again is my motivation. Thank you, Tina. Thank you for everything."

Goten could hear Bianca coming toward him from behind. He smiled at her and then looked back at the tombstone. Bianca looked at it with him.

"She's going to be safe now, right?" asked Bianca.

"Right. Tina's going to be okay from now on," said Goten.

"I'm glad. Now Tina can be happy."

"You're right. Come on, let's go home. Tina needs her rest."

Goten put his sunglasses back on and walked back to the car with Bianca. Bianca got in first, but Goten stood at the car. He turned back once more, smiled, and then finally got in the car. Although he never said it out loud, he had found a little inner peace. 

Hours later, Goten was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He dressed down to a tank top and a pair of shorts. Chi Chi was cooking dinner, Goku was training, and Bianca was asleep. The house was unusually quiet. Then there was a knocking at the door.

"Come in," said Goten.

The door opened. It was Gohan.

"Hey, I'm outta here bro," said Gohan.

"What? How come?" asked Goten.

"Well, Videl said I can come back home. I still have to pay to repair the roof, but at least I don't have to sleep in my tiny old bed anymore," said Gohan.

"Yeah, that's true. Congrats."

"Thanks, Goten. I'll see you later." 

Gohan started to walk away. Then Goten sat up.

"Hey, Gohan..."

Gohan turned back around.

"Yeah, Goten?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault."

Gohan smiled, waved, and walked away. Goten was alone again. He reached over to his radio, turned it on, and then lay back on his bed. Random songs played for about ten minutes, but Goten hardly heard them. Then something odd happened. The DJ started speaking, and he caught Goten's attention.

_"We got a special song for you people right now. It was especially requested by a girl who wants to let her man know she still loves him and that she'll never forget him. So now, let's hear 'All My Life' by KC and Jojo."_

Goten sat back up in shock. Well, more like shock and happiness. It was incredible. He hummed along with the music with a big smile on his face. Eventually he found himself bobbing his head, and then he found himself singing along with it. And then, as if on cue, there was a flashback in his mind. He remembered it so clearly.

  
  


**"Goten, what if the song does end? We can't stop that from happening," said Tina.**

**"Our song will never end, Tina. I won't allow that to happen," said Goten.**

**_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you..._the song played on.**

**"You promise me? Our song will never end?" asked Tina.**

**"Not as long as we keep it going," said Goten.**

**_And I thank God that I...that I finally found you..._**

**"I love this song. It's like it plays for us. You're right, we can keep it going," said Tina.**

**_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you..._**

**"Yes, we have to cherish this song. That's what will make it special. It's _our_ song, and we cherish it," said Goten.**

**_And I hope that you feel the same way, too..._**

**_Yes, I pray that you do love me too..._**

**"Thank you, Goten, for playing my song," said Tina.**

**"Our song, Tina," said Goten, "Our song."**

  
  


The song played on, and Goten continued to sing along. Sitting alone in his room, the room where he had his first kiss, where he first fell in love, he sang _their_ song. And, deep down, he knew Tina was in Heaven, singing along. And she was. So, in the closing seconds of the song, as the final chorus played on, Goten and Tina sang their song.

_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you..._

_And I thank God that I...that I finally found you..._

_All my life, I've prayed for someone like you..._

_And I hope that you feel the same way too..._

_Yes I pray that you do love me too..._

  


  
  
  
  



End file.
